er see a little more movement, a fishing boat or two
coming out, or something like that. Why, I've known cases where, a ship
bein' becalmed as we are, widin a few miles of the shore, the natives
have come off in scores wid fruit and fish and curios to sell; but those
chaps ashore there have kept most religiously away from us. Ah, well!
that cloud yonder is risin'--slowly, I admit, still it's risin', and I
hope it'll bring a breeze wid it, if it's only enough to give us
steerage way. I don't like things as they are, not the least little
bit."

"Why, man," I exclaimed, "what is the matter with you to-night? If I
didn't know better I should be almost inclined to think you were
afraid!"

"Afraid, is ut?" he laughed. "Begorra! what would I be afraid of, in
such a ship as this, wid all those beautiful guns and what not to
purtect us? No, Leigh, it's not afraid I am, as you know well; and yet
I have a curious feelin'--I can't describe ut, but it's a sort of
feelin' of--Howly Sailor!--what in the nation is that? Did ye hear it,
boy?"

Hear it? I should think so; and so had every other individual on deck,
if one might judge by the sudden silence that fell upon the men grouped
about the fore deck, followed by an equally sudden fusillade of low,
quick ejaculations and the swift rush of bare feet to the rails. It
began as a low, weird moan, which rose rapidly to a sort of sobbing wail
and culminated in a sharp, unearthly scream that sent cold shivers
running down my spine and caused the hairs of my head to bristle upon my
scalp. It seemed to come from the water almost immediately under our
bows. I saw a little crowd of men spring up the ladder leading to the
topgallant forecastle, rush to the rail, and peer eagerly down into the
black water. Then one of them straightened up suddenly and hailed:

"Poop, there! did ye hear that strange cry, sir?"

"Ay, ay," answered Kennedy, "I heard it right enough. D'ye suppose I'm
deaf? What is ut, anyway, that's makin' it?"

There was a brief but animated confab on the forecastle, and then the
voice that had hailed came back:

"Can't see anything anywhere, sir; but the sound seemed to come from
away yonder, on the starboard bow."

Instantly there arose a hubbub of protesting voices, one of which,
louder than the rest, could be heard exclaiming:

"You chump! what d'ye mean by sayin' that? Don't ye know the difference
between starboard and port? It was away off here to po