-murder
me!" the man looking the while as if he was going to faint.

"A ghost in the cabin?" said the passenger, laughing; "and in daylight
to? Why, Captain Dinks, he must be a sort of _rara avis_--not _in
terris_, however, in this instance."

"A ghost in the cabin?" repeated the captain, in a serious tone of
voice, with a frown on his forehead that somewhat disturbed the usual
good-humoured expression of his countenance; "we must see about this. I
don't allow any ghosts aboard my ship!"

And, with these words he dived down the companion, followed closely by
the mate and passenger; the panic-stricken steward contenting himself
with remaining at the top of the hatchway at a safe distance from the
object that had alarmed him, although he could not help peering down
below and listening with bated breath as to what might ensue in the
cabin--heedless of the entreaties of the man at the wheel, in whom
curiosity had overpowered the sense of duty for the nonce and made to
speak in defiance of discipline, to "tell him all about it!"

CHAPTER TWO.

STOWED AWAY.

When the "party of observation" under the leadership of the captain
arrived at the foot of the companion way, nothing very alarming was
presented to their notices as there were no signs of disturbance to be
seen in the steward's pantry, which was close to hand on their right;
although, judging by the crashing sounds they had heard when on deck,
one and all would have almost sworn that a "free fight" had taken place
in that sanctum, causing its complement of crockeryware to come to
irretrievable grief.

Nor was anything wrong to be perceived, at first sight, on entering
within the cuddy.

On the contrary, everything there seemed in due order. The doors of the
cabins on either side, as well as those of the state-rooms at the
further end of the saloon, were closed in their ordinary way--with the
exception of one, which was opened for an instant, to allow of a night-
capped head, evidently of female ownership, peering forth for a
momentary peep round, and then immediately slammed to again; and, the
long table, which ran fore and aft the vessel the entire length of the
apartment from the foot of the mizzen mast, was neatly spread over with
a snow-white cloth, on which knives and forks were laid equi-distantly
with trim regularity, as well as other prandial paraphernalia, in
preparation for breakfast; while to complete the category, the swinging
trays above, t