the moment he
seemed to share the sailor's fancies.

"Him, sir?" whispered the man. "Like as not, sir. He looked bad enough
to be on his way for the locker."

"Yes," agreed Murray; "he looked bad enough. But pooh! Nonsense!"

"Pooh! Nonsense it is, sir. But mightn't it be as well to go in and
see how he is, sir, and ask him 'bout where the black servants is?"

"Wake the poor fellow up from a comfortable sleep just because you have
taken a silly notion into your head, Tom? Why, you are going to make me
as fanciful as you are yourself!"

"Yes, sir, I wish you was," said the man. "I should feel a deal better
then."

"But I don't know, Tom," said Murray suddenly. "I don't want to disturb
him; still, as he told me to do just as I pleased here, and when I
wanted anything to ring for the servants--"

"Yes, sir, and they don't obey orders, sir, as they should; it's like
doing him a good turn, sir, to let him know that his crew's a bit
mutinous, being on'y slaves, you know, and like us, sir, agen him."

"Come with me, Tom," said the lad, yielding to a sudden resolve. "I
will just wake him and ask a question or two."

"Come with you, sir!" said the man to himself. "I just think I will!
You don't ketch me letting you leave me all alone by myself in this here
unked old place;" and after a sharp glance in the direction of the way
up, he followed his young officer on tiptoe into the room where they had
left the planter asleep; and then both started back in astonishment, to
stare one at the other. For the couch was vacant, and for a few minutes
the surprise sealed the middy's lips.

"Why, Tom," he said at last, "we left that Mr Allen there asleep!"

"He'd got his eyes shut, sir," said the sailor dubiously.

"And now he has gone, Tom."

"Well, he arn't here 't all events, sir."

"But where can he be?" cried Murray. "I did not see him come out."

"No, sir, I didn't neither," said the man, shaking his head very
solemnly.

"I--I can't understand it, Tom. Can he have--"

"Gone up-stairs to get a nap there, sir, 'cause the hammocks is more
comf'table?" suggested the man.

"Impossible."

"I dunno, sir. He's used to snakes, o' course, and they knows him."

"But we must have seen him go, Tom. We have been about all the time."

"Must ha' been when we was out at the back, sir, ringing the bell.
That's it, sir; you woke him up, and he turned grumpy like and went
somewheres else so as not to be disturbed."