o frame and
arrange the words of sympathy that struggled to my lips--for I am not a
quick man with my tongue--he resumed--

"I hope, Captain Saint Leger, that if my manner has seemed to you a
little curious to-night, you will not put it down to timorousness, or
faintheartedness, or anything of that sort. I _do_ feel very queer, I
admit; not ill, you understand, but _strange_; a kind of--well, it's
more than a presentiment; I might say it's an absolute certainty that
I'm going to die to-night, coupled with another absolute certainty that
those treacherous fiends of Malays are gathering round us out there in
the darkness. But if my presentiment should prove true, and it comes to
a fight, have no fears on my account. I'll not fail you, sir, in the
moment of need and danger. Danger has long ceased to be an enemy of
mine, and Death lost all his terrors for me when I stood for the first
time beside my Nellie's grave. I am quite ready to die whenever it may
please the Almighty to call me; and if I can do so in defence of those
dear, helpless women and children down below, it will suit me well
enough."

"Thank you, Roberts; thank you, my friend," said I, grasping the hand he
held out to me. "Yours is a very sad, pathetic story, and you have my
hearty sympathy. As to doubting your courage, my good fellow, no such
thought ever entered my head. But I am certain, despite all you say to
the contrary, that you are not quite yourself to-night. Therefore, if
you will not take any medicine, at least go below and try to get a
little sleep; that perhaps will do you as much good as anything. I will
keep the remainder of your watch for you; and should anything occur to
confirm your suspicions as to the Malays, you may reckon on my calling
you in good time."

The man was, however, obstinate--or, at least, so he seemed to me to
be--resolutely declining to accede to either of my suggestions; so,
leaving him to complete the few remaining preparations I deemed
necessary to meet an attack, should anything of the sort be attempted, I
returned aft to the poop, somewhat vexed that so thoroughly sensible a
man as Roberts had hitherto proved should suffer himself to be so
completely mastered, as I had seen him to be, by a morbid feeling of
melancholy that was doubtless due in part to overmuch dwelling of late
upon the death of his wife but which I firmly believed was to be still
more directly traced to some slight derangement of the syste