locks, incubi, succibi,
harpies, devils, imps, and haunters of Avitchi, from all the teachings
of history, sacred and profane, Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, mediaeval,
Swedenborg, Rosicrucian, theosophy, theology, with every last ounce
of horror, mystery, shivers, and creeps squeezed out of them. They
were gorgeous ghost stories, for they were told by a man fully informed
as to all the legendary and gruesome details. At first I used to think
he might have communicated it more effectively. Then I saw that the
cool, drawling manner, the level voice, were in reality the highest
art. He told his stories in a half-amused, detached manner which imposed
confidence more readily than any amount of earnest asseveration. The
mere fact of his own belief in what he said came to matter little.
He was the vehicle by which was brought accurate knowledge. He had
read all these things, and now reported them as he had read: each man
could decide for himself as to their credibility.

At last the donkey engine was cleared and reinstalled, atop the cliff.
The Nigger built under her a fire of black walnut; Captain Selover
handed out grog all around; and we started her up with a cheer, just
to see the wheels revolve.

Next we half buried some long hatches, end up, to serve as bitts for
the lines, hitched our cables to them, and joyfully commenced the task
of pulling the _Golden Horn_ piece by piece up the side of the
cliff.

The stores were badly damaged by the wet, and there was no liquor,
for which I was sincerely grateful. We broke into the boxes, and arrayed
ourselves in various garments--which speedily fell to pieces--and
appropriated gim-cracks of all sorts. There were some arms, but the
ammunition had gone bad. Perdosa, out of forty or fifty mis-fires,
got one feeble sputter, and a tremendous _bang_ which blew up
his piece, leaving only the stock in his hand. A few tinned goods were
edible; but all the rest was destroyed. A lot of hard woods, a
thousand feet of chain cable, and a fairly good anchor might be
considered as prizes. As for the rest, it was foolishness, but we
hauled it up just the same until nothing at all remained. Then we shut
off the donkey engine, and put on dry clothes. We had been quite happy
for the eight months.

It was now well along toward spring. The winter had been like summer,
and with the exception of a few rains of a week or so, we had enjoyed
beautiful skies. The seals had thinned out considerably, but were n