per gen'l'm'n. An' all the time et kep' gettin' hotter an'
hotter, till Sam were fairly runnin' to waste wi' sweatin'. At las'
he pops hes head out'n the windey for fresh air, an' cries out--

"'Hulloa! here's a stashun.'

"Well, the train pulls up, an' Sam says to the stranger--

"'Look 'ee here. Wud 'ee mind keepin' your eye 'pon th' ould man
while I runs out to get a drink? I reckoned I knawed thirst afore
this,' he says, 'but I were mistook.'

"The stranger was very willin', and away Sam goes.

"He warn't away more'n a minnit; but when he comes back an' takes a
look at the platform, my! Sir! there warn't no trace of the train to
be seen--not a vestment. You see, they don't blaw no whissle in
Spain when the train goes; an' there was poor Sam left stranded.

"Well, he tellygrafs o' cou'se to the nex' stashun, an' in less 'n an
hour back comes an answer to say as they searched the train when et
stopped, an' there warn't no corpse there, nor chest, nor nuthin'.
An' ef you'll believe me, sir," concluded Caleb, bending forward and
touching his master's knee, "th' ould Commodore ha'n't niver been
found fro' that day to this. Et 'most broke Sam's heart; an', as he
said to me wan time, 'For all I knaws 'twas the devil; and for all I
knaws th' ould maaster be travellin' roun' Spain to this day; but ef
so,' says he, 'I reckon by this time he's like Patty Ward's pig--no
lavender.'"

"That's a very curious tale," said Mr. Fogo, as Caleb leant back in
the window-seat and awaited its effect.

"'Tes so true, sir, as I'm here--or so Sam used to say. An' the
moral goes agen talkin' lightly o' what a man don't understand," he
added reflectively. "But forebodin' es so bad as witch-craf', an'
'tes more'n likely they won't come to-night; but if they does, 'tes
on'y fair to ax mun who they be dree times afore firin'. What's fair
for man es fair--"

He broke off and clutched his master by the arm.

"Look, sir--look!"

About the deck of the old schooner a shaft of light was dancing
fitfully--now here, now there, up and down--and all without visible
source or guidance.

The two watchers leapt to their feet and peered out at the window.

The strange brilliance flickered to and fro, falling even on the
further bank, and threading with a line of yellow the silver-grey of
the moonlight. Then it ceased suddenly.

Caleb and his master waited breathlessly. Half a minute passed
without further sign. Then they heard a