w glare forming weird reflections,
ugly shapes along the wall. God! what if it should go out, leaving us
lost and groping about in this chamber of horrors? In absolute terror
I drew her with me to the open door--then stopped, paralyzed; the half
revealed figure of a man appeared on the cabin stairs.

"Stop! who are you?"

"Watkins, sir. I came below to call you. There's sumthin' bloomin' odd
takin' place out there in the fog, Captain Carlyle. We want yer on
deck, sir, right away."

CHAPTER XXXI

THE BOAT ATTACK

He waited for us just without the companion, but my eyes caught
nothing unusual as I emerged into the daylight. I could barely see
amidships, but thus far the deck was clear, and on either side hung
the impenetrable bank of cloud, leaving sea and sky invisible. Simmes
was at the wheel, with no other member of the crew in sight.

"What is it, Watkins? Where are the men?"

"Forrard, sir, a hangin' over the starboard rail. Thar's somethin'
cursedly strange a happenin' in that damn fog. Harwood was the first
ter hear the clatter ov en oar slippin' in a rowlock. I thought the
feller wus crazy, till I heerd sumthin' also, an' then, sir, while we
wus still a listenin' we both caught sound ov a Spanish oath, spoke as
plain as if the buck was aboard."

"You saw nothing?"

"Not so much as a shadder, sir."

"A lost boat, likely--ship-wrecked sailors adrift in the fog; perhaps
our other quarter-boat. No one hailed them?"

"No, sir; I told the men ter keep still till I called you. It might be
a cuttin'-out party; this ain't no coast fer any honest sailors ter be
huggin' up to, an' I didn't like that feller talkin' Spanish."

"But if their purpose is to take us by surprise," I said, "they'd be
more cautious about it."

"Maybe they didn't know how near they was. 'Tain't likely they kin see
us much better 'n we kin see them. The sea's got an ugly swell to it,
an' the feller likely cussed afore he thought. Enyhow it wa' n't my
place ter hail 'em."

"All right; where are they?"

"Straight off the starboard quarter, sir."

The crew were all gathered there, staring out into the mist,
whispering to each other. Even they were indistinct, their faces
unrecognizable, until I pressed my way in among them. I brought up
beside Harwood.

"Hear anything more?"

"Not yet, sir," peering about to make sure of who spoke, "but there's
a boat out yonder; I'll swear to that."

"How far away when you heard them?"