For a period of over twenty hours this man had been behaving oddly; and
they had conceived something more than a suspicion of his insanity. The
death of the sailor lying at the bottom of the boat, now the ninth, had
rendered him for a time more tranquil, and he sat quiet on his seat,
with elbows resting on his knees, his cheeks held between the palms of
his hands. But the wild stare in his eyes seemed to have become only
more intensified as he kept them fixed upon the corpse of his comrade.
It was a look worse than wild; it had in it the expression of _craving_.

On perceiving it, and after a moment spent in reflection, the captain
made a sign to the ship-carpenter, at the same time saying,--

"Murtagh, it's no use our keeping the body any longer in the boat. Let
us give it such burial as the sea vouchsafes to a sailor,--and a true
one he was."

He spoke these words quietly, and in a low tone, as if not intending
them to be heard by the suspected maniac.

"A thrue sailor!" rejoined the Irishman. "Truth ye're roight there,
captin. Och, now! to think he's the ninth of them we've throwed
overboard, all the crew of the owld ship, exceptin' our three selves,
widout countin' the Malay an' the childer. If it wasn't that yer
honour's still left, I'd say the best goes first; for the nigger there
looks as if he'd last out the whole lot of--"

The captain, to whom this imprudent speech was torture, with a gesture
brought it to an abrupt termination. He was in fear of its effect not
on the Malay, but on the insane sailor. The latter, however, showed no
sign of having heard or understood it; and in a whisper Murtagh received
instructions how to act.

"You lay hold of him by the shoulders," were the words spoken, "while I
take the feet. Let us slip him quietly over without making any stir.
Saloo, remain you where you are; we won't need your help."

This last speech was addressed to the Malay, and in his own language,
which would not be understood by any other than himself. The reason for
laying the injunction upon him was, that he sat in the boat beyond the
man deemed mad, and his coming across to the others might excite the
latter, and bring about some vaguely dreaded crisis.

The silent Malay simply nodded an assent, showing no sign that he
comprehended why his assistance was not desired. For all that, he
understood it, he too having observed the mental condition of the
sailor. Rising silently from their seats,