conclusion; and, whilst
Sanderson first took another peep at O'Flaherty, and then went forward
to look after the rest of his patients, Courtenay and I went on deck,
where we found the gunner keeping a lookout. "Well, Mr Tompion," said
I, as the man approached, "how are matters looking here on deck?"

"All quiet, sir," was the reply, "leastways as far as one can be sartain
on sich a pitch-dark night as this. It's lightnin' a little away down
there to the west'ard, and durin' one o' the flashes I sartaintly _did_
think I see some objek a-movin' away over there in the direction where
the felucca came from, but when the next flash took place there weren't
a sign of anything."

"Oh, indeed!" said I, "what did the object look like?"

"Well, sir, it might ha' been a boat--or a raft--or it might only ha'
been the trunk of a tree struck adrift; but if it had been a tree I
don't think as it would ha' wanished quite so quick."

"How long ago was this, Mr Tompion?"

"Just a minute or two afore you came on deck, sir."

"Well," said I, "we must keep a sharp lookout, that is all we can do at
present Is there anybody on the lookout on the forecastle?"

"Yes, sir, Jack Sinclair and Bob Miles."

"Thank you, that will do, Mr Tompion," said I, and the man turned away
to his former post at the gangway.

Whatever the mysterious object might have been it was invisible on the
occurrence, not only of the next, but also of several succeeding flashes
of the bluish summer lightning which quivered up from behind a heavy
bank of cloud low down on the western horizon, momentarily lighting up
with a weird evanescent radiance the lagoon, the mainland, the distant
islands toward which our suspicious glances were directed, and the ship
herself, which, partially dismantled as she was, looked in the faint and
momentary illumination like the ghost of some ancient wreck hovering
over the scene of her dissolution; the incident was therefore soon
forgotten as Courtenay took me round from point to point explaining what
further steps he had taken, after my retirement below in the afternoon,
to facilitate the floating of the ship.

The tide was now again making, and at length, about two bells in the
first watch, we became conscious that the schooner, which had been lying
somewhat over on her port bilge, was gradually becoming more upright.
Meanwhile the lightning had ceased, and the darkness had become, if
possible, more profound than ever, whilst th