tranger standing at the upper
end of the cave, near the block of stone in the centre, where Sam had
been seated when I had seen him playing the banjo, and Tom gave him such
a fright by pretending to be a ghost.

Sam, now, like the rest of us, saw this figure advancing in our
direction, and believed he was going to be treated to another visitation
from the apparition which had terrified him previously, and which he was
still only half convinced was but the creation of Tom's erratic fancy.

"O Lor', Cholly!" he exclaimed, in great fright, clutching hold of my
hand, as I stood near him at the entrance to the cave. "Dere's anudder
duppy come, fo' suah! My golly! What am dat?"

But, before I could say anything, much to our great relief--for I felt
almost as much terrified as he--the voice of Jan Steenbock sounded from
out from the gloomy interior in answer to his question.

"It vas mees, mein frents--it vas mees!"

"Goodness gracious, Mister Steenbock!" sang out Tom Bullover, looking
towards him, as the hazy figure advanced nearer and became more
distinct, although we could not yet actually see the second-mate's face.
"How did you get here?"

"I vas hoont aftaire ze cap'en," replied Jan, coming up close to us now.
"He vas get troonk, and go mat again in ze valleys beyont ze sheep, and
I vas run aftaire hims, as he vas run avays, and den he vas go out of
zight in one big hole at ze top of ze hill. I vas vollow aftaire hims,
but den I loose hims, and ze erdquake vas come and ze toonder and
lightning, and I vas zee yous and here I vas!"

"Oh, we've got the skipper all right," said Tom. "He nearly killed
Hiram jest now in his frenzy; but we've tied him up with a lashing round
his arms and legs, so that he can't get away and come to no harm till
he's all serene again. I'm a-sitting on him now to keep him down; as,
though he's sleepin', he tries to start up on us every minute. By
Jingo! there he goes again!"

"He vas bat mans," observed Jan Steenbock, helping to hold down the
struggling skipper, whose fits of delirium still came back every now and
again. "He vas vool of mischiefs and ze rhoom! Joost now, he vas dink
dat he vas talk to ze boocaneer cap'en, and dat he vas show him dat
dreazure dat vas accurst, and he vas dink he vinds it, and dat I vas
shteal hims avay."

"I'm jiggered!" ejaculated Hiram, in surprise. "Why, he comed up hyar
an' goes fur me to throttle me, sayin' ez how I hed took the durned
tree