eet iron against the cast iron of the great
stove. He kept his eye fixed all the time on the scullion. The noise was
enough for the big midship gun on deck, or even for a small earthquake.
Pink was evidently startled by the prodigious sound, and turned towards
the steward, who was satisfied that he had heard it; but the fellow was
cunning, and realizing that he had committed himself, he picked up one
of his feet, and began to rub it as though he had been hit by the
falling blower. At the same time, he pretended to be very angry, and
demonstrated very earnestly against his companion.

Dave felt that he had made a point, and he did not carry his
investigation of the auditory capacity of the scullion any farther that
night. He finished his work below, and then went on deck. He lounged
about in a very careless manner till eight bells were struck. Mr. Flint
on the bridge was relieved by Mr. Lillyworth, and the port watch came on
duty for the next four hours, or until midnight. This was the time the
captain had indicated to Dave as a favorable one for the discharge of
his special duty. Taking advantage of the absence of any person from the
vicinity of the foremast, he adroitly curled himself up in the folds of
the foresail, which was brailed up to the mast. He had his head in such
a position that he could see without being seen by any casual passer-by.

He waited in this position over an hour, and during that time Pink went
back and forth several times, and seemed to be looking up at the bridge,
which was just forward of the foremast. On the top-gallant forecastle
were two men on the lookout; in the waist was a quartermaster, who was
doing the duty that belonged to the third lieutenant, if the scarcity of
officers had permitted the Bronx to have one. The body of the port watch
were spinning yarns on the forecastle, and none of them were very near
the foremast. After a while, as Pink was approaching the forecastle,
Dave saw the second lieutenant gesticulating to him very earnestly to
come on the bridge. The supernumerary ascended the ladder, and the
officer set him at work to lace on the sailcloth to the railing of the
bridge, to shelter those on duty there from the force of the sea blast.

Dave listened with all his ears for any sound from the bridge; but he
soon realized that if there was any, he was too far off to hear it. With
the aid of the lashings of the foresail, he succeeded in climbing up on
the mast to a point on a