gain. There was no doubt about it
this time, and I glanced to leeward. There I saw Tammy reaching over the
steering gear, his hand out, in the act of trying to touch my arm. I was
about to ask him what the devil he wanted, when he held up his finger
for silence, and pointed forrard along the lee side of the poop. In the
dim light, his face showed palely, and he seemed much agitated. For a
few seconds, I stared in the direction he indicated, but could see
nothing.

"What is it?" I asked in an undertone, after a couple of moments'
further ineffectual peering. "I can't see anything."

"H'sh!" he muttered, hoarsely, without looking in my direction. Then,
all at once, with a quick little gasp, he sprang across the wheel-box,
and stood beside me, trembling. His gaze appeared to follow the
movements of something I could not see.

I must say that I was startled. His movement had shown such terror; and
the way he stared to leeward made me think he saw something uncanny.

"What the deuce is up with you?" I asked, sharply. And then I remembered
the Second Mate. I glanced forrard to where he lounged. His back was
still towards us, and he had not seen Tammy. Then I turned to the boy.

"For goodness sake, get to looard before the Second sees you!" I said.
"If you want to say anything, say it across the wheel-box. You've been
dreaming."

Even as I spoke, the little beggar caught at my sleeve with one hand;
and, pointing across to the log-reel with the other, screamed: "He's
coming! He's coming----" At this instant, the Second Mate came running
aft, singing out to know what was the matter. Then, suddenly, crouching
under the rail near the log-reel, I saw something that looked like a
man; but so hazy and unreal, that I could scarcely say I saw anything.
Yet, like a flash, my thoughts ripped back to the silent figure I had
seen in the flicker of the moonlight, a week earlier.

The Second Mate reached me, and I pointed, dumbly; and yet, as I did so,
it was with the knowledge that _he_ would not be able to see what I saw.
(Queer, wasn't it?) And then, almost in a breath, I lost sight of the
thing, and became aware that Tammy was hugging my knees.

The Second continued to stare at the log-reel for a brief instant; then
he turned to me, with a sneer.

"Been asleep, the pair of you, I suppose!" Then, without waiting for my
denial, he told Tammy to go to hell out of it and stop his noise, or
he'd boot him off the poop.

After that,