and then in connection with his
duty he told the sailor to go up-stairs and examine the bedrooms.

"Which way does the cabin ladder lie, sir?" asked the man.

"I don't know, Tom," was the reply. "Try that door."

He pointed to one that was on the far side of the hall and had struck
him at first as a movable panel to close up a fire-place; but upon the
light cane frame being drawn out it revealed a perpendicular flight of
steps, up which the sailor drew himself lightly and lowered himself down
again.

"Well?"

"Arn't no rooms there, sir," whispered the man, with rather an uneasy
look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just the ship's hold, sir, turned upside down like. Sort o' cock
loft of bamboo spars jyned together at the top--rafters, don't they call
'em, sir?"

"Yes, of course."

"That's right, then, sir, and they're all thatched and caulked with palm
leaves."

"Not a bedroom at all, then, Tom."

"No, sir, but it's a sort o' sleeping accommodation all the same, 'cause
there's a couple o' netting sort o' hammocks slung all ready; but I
shouldn't like to have my quarters there," continued the man uneasily.

"Why not? It must be cool and pleasant."

"Cool, sir, but not kinder pleasant."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, sir, it's so plaguey dark."

"What of that? So's the sloop's hold."

"Yes, sir, but this here's so unked dark."

"Well, you don't mind the dark?"

"No, sir, I dunno as I do so long as I've got my messmates nigh at
hand."

"Look here, Tom, I don't understand you," said Murray. "You're keeping
something back. Why are you hesitating? You don't mind the dark."

"No, sir; it's the rustling sounds as I don't like."

"Pooh! Rats," said Murray.

"Nay, nay, sir. I knows what a rat can do in a ship's hold as well as
any one who has been to sea. What I heered arn't no rats."

"Birds, then."

"Tchah, sir! That arn't no birds."

"What is it, May, since you seem to know?"

"Some'at oncanny, sir."

"_Uncanny_? What can it be uncanny?"

"I dunno, sir. Some'at as arn't real."

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno, sir, and I 'spects--"

"Suspect what? Why, Tom, you don't mean to tell me that a great strong
sailor like you fancies that the place is haunted?"

"Oh no, sir, I don't go so far as to say that," said the man.

"Then what do you mean?"

"That's what I can't exackly tell you, sir. All I knows is that as soon
as I got my head and shoulders well up