e in a very
matter-of-fact way; for they had become inured to such happenings.

Presently, I heard Mistress Madison calling to me by name, and so
descended out of the growing darkness, to the interior of the
superstructure, and here they had lit a number of rude slush-lamps, the
oil for which, as I learned later, they obtained from a certain fish
which haunted the sea, beneath the weed, in very large schools, and took
near any sort of bait with great readiness. And so, when I had climbed
down into the light, I found the girl waiting for me to come to supper,
for which I discovered myself to be in a mightily agreeable humor.

Presently, having made an end of eating, she leaned back in her seat and
commenced once more to bait me in her playful manner, the which appeared
to afford her much pleasure, and in which I joined with no less, and so
we fell presently to more earnest talk, and in this wise we passed a
great space of the evening. Then there came to her a sudden idea, and
what must she do but propose that we should climb to the lookout, and to
this I agreed with a very happy willingness. And to the lookout we went.
Now when we had come there, I perceived her reason for this freak; for
away in the night, astern the hulk, there blazed half-way between the
heaven and the sea, a mighty glow, and suddenly, as I stared, being dumb
with admiration and surprise, I knew that it was the blaze of our fires
upon the crown of the bigger hill; for, all the hill being in shadow, and
hidden by the darkness, there showed only the glow of the fires, hung, as
it were, in the void, and a very striking and beautiful spectacle it was.
Then, as I watched, there came, abruptly a figure into view upon the
edge of the glow, showing black and minute, and this I knew to be one of
the men come to the edge of the hill to take a look at the hulk, or test
the strain on the hawser. Now, upon my expressing admiration of the sight
to Mistress Madison, she seemed greatly pleased, and told me that she had
been up many times in the darkness to view it. And after that we went
down again into the interior of the superstructure, and here the men were
taking a further heave upon the big rope, before settling the watches for
the night, the which they managed, by having one man at a time to keep
awake and call the rest whenever the hawser grew slack.

Later Mistress Madison showed me where I was to sleep, and so, having bid
one another a very warm good-night,