You can hear him a-groaning!"

The doctor led the way down the open hatch; and I followed, to give him
a push down, if he stuck fast, finding that there was something in the
man's alarm, for from out of the darkness came, every now and then, a
deep, sighing groan.

"Why, there's some one there!" cried the doctor.

"Here, quick, half a dozen of you!" I shouted, for an idea had just
struck me; and, getting a lantern, I crept over some of the stores to
where stood a row of casks, to one of which I traced the voice.

"Hallo!" I cried, tapping the cask; when there came a rustling noise
from inside, and a tap or two seemed given by a hand.

"Found anything?" said the doctor, who had stuck fast between the stores
and the deck.

"It's a stowaway, I think," I answered; and, creeping back, with the
groans becoming more frequent, I gave orders, had some of the hatches
taken off farther along the deck, and just over where the cask lay; and
then, by means of some strong tackle, we hauled the cask out on deck, to
find it only partly headed, and from out of it half slipped, half
crawled, a pale, thin, ghastly looking young fellow, of about four or
five-and-twenty.

"Why, it's Smith!" exclaimed the doctor.

"Water--food!" gasped the poor wretch, lying prostrate on his side.

These were given him, and the doctor added some spirit, with the effect
that the poor fellow began to revive, and at last sat up on the deck.

"And how did you get here?" I said.

"Got on board at night!" he gasped. "Crept into the cask--meant to get
out--but packed in!"

"Did I not refuse you permission to come, sir?" cried the doctor,
shaking his fist.

"Yes, uncle!" gasped the stowaway; "but Fanny said, if I didn't come and
take care of you, she--she would never--speak to me--any more! Oh,
dear! please stop the ship! I feel so poorly!"

"It's a wonder you were not starved to death," said the doctor.

"Or smothered," I said.

"Ye-yes," stammered the poor fellow. "I was all right till they packed
things all round me, and then I couldn't get out!"

"Shall we put the ghost specimen in the spirit cask, doctor?" I said.

"Well, no," he replied. "I think we'll let him go down to the cabin.
But you'd no business to come, Alfred, for you'll only be in the way."

"Oh, no, uncle," he said, rapidly getting better, between the qualms
produced by the rolling of the steamer; "I shall be a great help to you,
uncle. I've brought my Alpenstock,