night-bird," I thought. But the next moment I felt quite
startled, for the sound was repeated, and I knew now that it was some
one whispering. Then, as I stood quite still in the darkness, with the
glow coming from the cabin-windows and from the binnacle-light, there
was a faint rushing up above, and a little off to my left, and directly
after I knew what it was,--somebody's feet on the ratlines coming down
from the main-top.

There was no sail being made or reduced, and it seemed strange for any
one to be up there, and it had just struck me that perhaps it was
Captain Berriman, who had seen Mr Brymer and Mr Frewen talking
together and had gone up to listen, when, so close to me that I wondered
I was not seen, somebody stepped down on to the top of the bulwarks, and
then swung himself softly on to the deck; then crouching down close
under the side, he crept forward swiftly and was gone.

"That couldn't have been the captain," I thought; "the step was too
light. It was some one quite active."

I was thinking of going forward to try and make out, when there was
another rustling noise above, which recalled the whispering that had
passed out of my mind for the moment; then the rustling continued, and
some one else came down, stepped lightly on the deck, and stood
perfectly still as if looking about to see if any one was near.

It was so dark that I could not make out who it was till he walked aft
not very far from where I stood, and a few moments later I saw who it
was, for his figure came between my eyes and the glow from the
cabin-windows.

"Why, it was Walters," I said to myself, and then I began to wonder more
and more what it all meant. I ran it over in my mind, but I could not
think of any one at all likely to be Walters' companion at night in the
main-top; in fact, I could not think of any one at all likely to climb
up so high, or even half-way up the shrouds.

"It couldn't have been a cabin passenger," I thought, "for he went
forward; nor yet one of the steerage people."

Then I knew, and wondered that I had not thought of him at first.

"Why, it was Jarette," I said to myself. "He's as light and active as a
cat."

I waited a bit; and then went slowly right forward and stood for a time
with the men at the look-out, to gaze right away into the soft, hot,
black darkness, thinking how easily we might run into another vessel, or
another vessel run into us. Then setting my face aft, I went back along
the