at shook his wiry body. He leaned over and caught
my shoulder as I was moving away.

"New paint and new canvas don't make a new ship," he said, choking back
the cough. "She's still the old Ella, the she-devil of the Turner
line. Pink lights below, and not a rat in the hold! They left her
before we sailed, boy. Every rope was crawling with 'em."

"The very rats
Instinctively had left it,"

I quoted. But Charlie, clutching the wheel, was coughing again, and
cursing breathlessly as he coughed.

CHAPTER IV

I RECEIVE A WARNING

The odor of formaldehyde in the forecastle having abated, permission
for the crew to sleep on deck had been withdrawn. But the weather as
we turned south had grown insufferably hot. The reek of the forecastle
sickened me--the odor of fresh paint, hardly dry, of musty clothing and
sweaty bodies.

I asked Singleton, the first mate, for permission to sleep on deck, and
was refused. I went down, obediently enough, to be driven back with
nausea. And so, watching my chance, I waited until the first mate, on
watch, disappeared into the forward cabin to eat the night lunch always
prepared by the cook and left there. Then, with a blanket and pillow,
I crawled into the starboard lifeboat, and settled myself for the
night. The lookout saw me, but gave no sign.

It was not a bad berth. As the ship listed, the stars seemed to sway
above me, and my last recollection was of the Great Dipper, performing
dignified gyrations in the sky.

I was aroused by one of the two lookouts, a young fellow named Burns.
He was standing below, rapping on the side of the boat with his
knuckles. I sat up and peered over at him, and was conscious for the
first time that the weather had changed. A fine rain was falling; my
hair and shirt were wet.

"Something doing in the chart-room," he said cautiously. "Thought you
might not want to miss it."

He was in his bare feet, as was I. Together we hurried to the after
house. The steersman, in oilskins, was at his post, but was peering
through the barred window into the chart-room, which was brilliantly
lighted. He stepped aside somewhat to let us look in. The loud and
furious voices which had guided us had quieted, but the situation had
not relaxed.

Singleton, the first mate, and Turner were sitting at a table littered
with bottles and glasses, and standing over them, white with fury, was
Captain Richard