The Ghost Pirates

by William Hope Hodgson

  XV

  _The Great Ghost Ship_

  When we were called again, at a quarter to four, the man who roused usout, had some queer information.

  "Toppin's gone--clean vanished!" he told us, as we began to turn out. "Inever was in such a damned, hair-raisin' hooker as this here. It ain'tsafe to go about the bloomin' decks."

  "'oo's gone?" asked Plummer, sitting up suddenly and throwing his legsover his bunk-board.

  "Toppin, one of the 'prentices," replied the man. "We've been huntin'all over the bloomin' show. We're still at it--but we'll never findhim," he ended, with a sort of gloomy assurance.

  "Oh, I dunno," said Quoin. "P'raps 'e's snoozin' somewheres 'bout."

  "Not him," replied the man. "I tell you we've turned everythin' upsidedown. He's not aboard the bloomin' ship.

  "Where was he when they last saw him?" I asked.

  "Someone must know something, you know!"

  "Keepin' time up on the poop," he replied. "The Old Man's nearly shookthe life out of the Mate and the chap at the wheel. And they say theydon't know nothin'."

  "How do you mean?" I inquired. "How do you mean, nothing?"

  "Well," he answered. "The youngster was there one minute, and then thenext thing they knew, he'd gone. They've both sworn black an' blue thatthere wasn't a whisper. He's just disappeared off of the face of thebloomin' earth."

  I got down on to my chest, and reached for my boots.

  Before I could speak again, the man was saying something fresh.

  "See here, mates," he went on. "If things is goin' on like this, I'dlike to know where you an' me'll be befor' long!"

  "We'll be in 'ell," said Plummer.

  "I dunno as I like to think 'bout it," said Quoin.

  "We'll have to think about it!" replied the man. "We've got to think abloomin' lot about it. I've talked to our side, an' they're game."

  "Game for what?" I asked.

  "To go an' talk straight to the bloomin' Capting," he said, wagging hisfinger at me. "It's make tracks for the nearest bloomin' port, an' don'tyou make no bloomin' mistake."

  I opened my mouth to tell him that the probability was we should not beable to make it, even if he could get the Old Man to see the matter fromhis point of view. Then I remembered that the chap had no idea of thethings I had seen, and _thought out_; so, instead, I said:

  "Supposing he won't?"

  "Then we'll have to bloomin' well make him," he replied.

  "And when you got there," I said. "What then? You'd be jolly well lockedup for mutiny."

  "I'd sooner be locked up," he said. "It don't kill you!"

  There was a murmur of agreement from the others, and then a moment ofsilence, in which, I know, the men were thinking.

  Jaskett's voice broke into it.

  "I never thought at first as she was 'aunted--" he commenced; butPlummer cut in across his speech.

  "We mustn't 'urt any one, yer know," he said. "That'd mean 'angin', an'they ain't been er bad crowd.

  "No," assented everyone, including the chap who had come to call us.

  "All the same," he added. "It's got to be up hellum, an' shove her intothe nearest bloomin' port."

  "Yes," said everyone, and then eight bells went, and we cleared out ondeck.

  Presently, after roll-call--in which there had come a queer, awkwardlittle pause at Toppin's name--Tammy came over to me. The rest of themen had gone forrard, and I guessed they were talking over mad plans forforcing the Skipper's hand, and making him put into port--poor beggars!

  I was leaning over the port rail, by the fore brace-lock, staring downinto the sea, when Tammy came to me. For perhaps a minute he saidnothing. When at last he spoke, it was to say that the shadow vesselshad not been there since daylight.

  "What?" I said, in some surprise. "How do you know?"

  "I woke up when they were searching for Toppin," he replied. "I've notbeen asleep since. I came here, right away." He began to say somethingfurther; but stopped short.

  "Yes," I said encouragingly.

  "I didn't know--" he began, and broke off. He caught my arm. "Oh,Jessop!" he exclaimed. "What's going to be the end of it all? Surelysomething can be done?"

  I said nothing. I had a desperate feeling that there was very little wecould do to help ourselves.

  "Can't we do something?" he asked, and shook my arm. "Anything's betterthan _this_! We're being _murdered!"_

  Still, I said nothing; but stared moodily down into the water. I couldplan nothing; though I would get mad, feverish fits of thinking.

  "Do you hear?" he said. He was almost crying.

  "Yes, Tammy," I replied. "But I don't know! I _don't_ know!"

  "You don't know!" he exclaimed. "You don't know! Do you mean we're justto give in, and be murdered, one after another?"

  "We've done all we can," I replied. "I don't know what else we can do,unless we go below and lock ourselves in, every night."

  "That would be better than this," he said. "There'll be no one to gobelow, or anything else, soon!"

  "But what if it came on to blow?" I asked. "We'd be having the sticksblown out of her."

  "What if it came on to blow _now_?" he returned. "No one would go aloft,if it were dark, you said, yourself! Besides, we could shorten her_right_ down, first. I tell you, in a few days there won't be a chapalive aboard this packet unless they jolly well do something!"

  "Don't shout," I warned him. "You'll have the Old Man hearing you." Butthe young beggar was wound up, and would take no notice.

  "I will shout," he replied. "I want the Old Man to hear. I've a goodmind to go up and tell him."

  He started on a fresh tack.

  "Why don't the men do something?" he began. "They ought to damn wellmake the Old Man put us into port! They ought--"

  "For goodness sake, shut up, you little fool!" I said. "What's the goodof talking a lot of damned rot like that? You'll be getting yourselfinto trouble."

  "I don't care," he replied. "I'm not going to be murdered!"

  "Look here," I said. "I told you before, that we shouldn't be able tosee the land, even if we made it."

  "You've no proof," he answered. "It's only your idea."

  "Well," I replied. "Proof, or no proof, the Skipper would only pile herup, if he tried to make the land, with things as they are now."

  "Let him pile her up," he answered. "Let him jolly well pile her up!That would be better than staying out here to be pulled overboard, orchucked down from aloft!"

  "Look here, Tammy--" I began; but just then the Second Mate sung out forhim, and he had to go. When he came back, I had started to walk to andfrom, across the fore side of the mainmast. He joined me, and after aminute, he started his wild talk again.

  "Look here, Tammy," I said, once more. "It's no use your talking likeyou've been doing. Things are as they are, and it's no one's fault, andnobody can help it. If you want to talk sensibly, I'll listen; if not,then go and gas to someone else."

  With that, I returned to the port side, and got up on the spar, again,intending to sit on the pinrail and have a bit of a talk with him.Before sitting down I glanced over, into the sea. The action had beenalmost mechanical; yet, after a few instants, I was in a state of themost intense excitement, and without withdrawing my gaze, I reached outand caught Tammy's arm to attract his attention.

  "My God!" I muttered. "Look!"

  "What is it?" he asked, and bent over the rail, beside me. And thisis what we saw: a little distance below the surface there lay apale-coloured, slightly-domed disc. It seemed only a few feet down.Below it, we saw quite clearly, after a few moment's staring, the shadowof a royal-yard, and, deeper, the gear and standing-rigging of a greatmast. Far down among the shadows I thought, presently, that I could makeout the immense, indefinite stretch of vast decks.

  "My God!" whispered Tammy, and shut up. But presently, he gave out ashort exclamation, as though an idea had come to him; and got down offthe spar, and ran forrard on to the fo'cas'le head. He came runningback, after a
short look into the sea, to tell me that there was thetruck of another great mast coming up there, a bit off the bow, towithin a few feet of the surface of the sea.

  In the meantime, you know, I had been staring like mad down through thewater at the huge, shadowy mast just below me. I had traced out bit bybit, until now I could clearly see the jackstay, running along the topof the royal mast; and, you know, the royal itself was _set_.

  But, you know, what was getting at me more than anything, was a feelingthat there was movement down in the water there, among the rigging. I_thought_ I could actually see, at times, things moving and glintingfaintly and rapidly to and fro in the gear. And once, I was practicallycertain that something was on the royal-yard, moving in to the mast; asthough, you know, it might have come up the leech of the sail. And thisway, I got a beastly feeling that there were things swarming down there.

  Unconsciously, I must have leant further and further out over the side,staring; and suddenly--good Lord! how I yelled--I overbalanced. I made asweeping grab, and caught the fore brace, and with that, I was back in amoment upon the spar. In the same second, almost, it seemed to me thatthe surface of the water above the submerged truck was broken, and I amsure _now,_ I saw something a moment in the air against the ship's side--a sort of shadow in the air; though I did not realise it at the time.Anyway, the next instant, Tammy gave out an awful scream, and was headdownwards over the rail, in a second. I had an idea _then_ that he wasjumping overboard. I collared him by the waist of his britchers, and oneknee, and then I had him down on the deck, and sat plump on him; for hewas struggling and shouting all the time, and I was so breathless andshaken and gone to mush, I could not have trusted my hands to hold him.You see, I never thought _then_ it was anything but some influence atwork on him; and that he was trying to get loose to go over the side.But I know _now_ that I saw the shadow-man that had him. Only, at thetime, I was so mixed up, and with the one idea in my head, I was notreally able to notice anything, properly. But, afterwards, Icomprehended a bit (you can understand, can't you?) what I had seen atthe time without taking in.

  And even now looking back, I know that the shadow was only like afaint-seen greyness in the daylight, against the whiteness of the decks,clinging against Tammy.

  And there was I, all breathless and sweating, and quivery with my owntumble, sitting on the little screeching beggar, and he fighting like amad thing; so that I thought I should never hold him.

  And then I heard the Second Mate shouting and there came running feetalong the deck. Then many hands were pulling and hauling, to get me offhim.

  "Bl--y cowyard!" sung out someone.

  "Hold him! Hold him!" I shouted. "He'll be overboard!"

  At that, they seemed to understand that I was not ill-treating theyoungster; for they stopped manhandling me, and allowed me to rise;while two of them took hold of Tammy, and kept him safe.

  "What's the matter with him?" the Second Mate was singing out. "What'shappened?"

  "He's gone off his head, I think," I said.

  "What?" asked the Second Mate. But before I could answer him, Tammyceased suddenly to struggle, and flopped down upon the deck.

  "'e's fainted," said Plummer, with some sympathy. He looked at me, witha puzzled, suspicious air. "What's 'appened? What's 'e been doin'?"

  "Take him aft into the berth!" ordered the Second Mate, a bit abruptly.It struck me that he wished to prevent questions. He must have tumbledto the fact that we had seen something, about which it would be betternot to tell the crowd.

  Plummer stooped to lift the boy.

  "No," said the Second Mate. "Not you, Plummer. Jessop, you take him." Heturned to the rest of the men. "That will do," he told them and theywent forrard, muttering a little.

  I lifted the boy, and carried him aft.

  "No need to take him into the berth," said the Second Mate. "Put himdown on the after hatch. I've sent the other lad for some brandy."

  Then the brandy came, we dosed Tammy and soon brought him round. He satup, with a somewhat dazed air. Otherwise, he seemed quiet and saneenough.

  "What's up?" he asked. He caught sight of the Second Mate. "Have I beenill, Sir?" he exclaimed.

  "You're right enough now, youngster," said the Second Mate. "You've beena bit off. You'd better go and lie down for a bit."

  "I'm all right now, Sir," replied Tammy. "I don't think--"

  "You do as you're told!" interrupted the Second. "Don't always have tobe told twice! If I want you, I'll send for you."

  Tammy stood up, and made his way, in rather an unsteady fashion, intothe berth. I fancy he was glad enough to lie down.

  "Now then, Jessop," exclaimed the Second Mate, turning to me. "What'sbeen the cause of all this? Out with it now, smart!"

  I commenced to tell him; but, almost directly, he put up his hand.

  "Hold on a minute," he said. "There's the breeze!"

  He jumped up the port ladder, and sung out to the chap at the wheel.Then down again.

  "Starboard fore brace," he sung out. He turned to me. "You'll have tofinish telling me afterwards," he said.

  "i, i, Sir," I replied, and went to join the other chaps at the braces.

  As soon as we were braced sharp up on the port tack, he sent some of thewatch up to loose the sails. Then he sung out for me.

  "Go on with your yarn now, Jessop," he said.

  I told him about the great shadow vessel, and I said something aboutTammy--I mean about my not being sure _now_ whether he _had_ tried tojump overboard. Because, you see, I began to realise that I had seen theshadow; and I remembered the stirring of the water above the submergedtruck. But the Second did not wait, of course, for any theories, but wasaway, like a shot, to see for himself. He ran to the side, and lookeddown. I followed, and stood beside him; yet, now that the surface of thewater was blurred by the wind, we could see nothing.

  "It's no good," he remarked, after a minute. "You'd better get away fromthe rail before any of the others see you. Just be taking those halyardsaft to the capstan."

  From then, until eight bells, we were hard at work getting the sail uponher, and when at last eight bells went, I made haste to swallow mybreakfast, and get a sleep.

  At midday, when we went on deck for the afternoon watch, I ran to theside; but there was no sign of the great shadow ship. All that watch,the Second Mate kept me working at my paunch mat, and Tammy he put on tohis sinnet, telling me to keep an eye on the youngster. But the boy wasright enough; as I scarcely doubted now, you know; though--a mostunusual thing--he hardly opened his lips the whole afternoon. Then atfour o'clock, we went below for tea.

  At four bells, when we came on deck again, I found that the lightbreeze, which had kept us going during the day, had dropped, and we wereonly just moving. The sun was low down, and the sky clear. Once ortwice, as I glanced across to the horizon, it seemed to me that I caughtagain that odd quiver in the air that had preceded the coming of themist; and, indeed on two separate occasions, I saw a thin whisp of hazedrive up, apparently out of the sea. This was at some little distance onour port beam; otherwise, all was quiet and peaceful; and though Istared into the water, I could make out no vestige of that great shadowship, down in the sea.

  It was some little time after six bells that the order came for allhands to shorten sail for the night. We took in the royals andt'gallants, and then the three courses. It was shortly after this, thata rumour went round the ship that there was to be no look-out that nightafter eight o'clock. This naturally created a good deal of talk amongthe men; especially as the yarn went that the fo'cas'le doors were to beshut and fastened as soon as it was dark, and that no one was to beallowed on deck.

  "'oo's goin' ter take ther wheel?" I heard Plummer ask.

  "I s'pose they'll 'ave us take 'em as usual," replied one of the men."One of ther officers is bound ter be on ther poop; so we'll 'avecompany."

  Apart from these remarks, there was a general opinion that--if it weretrue--it was a sensible act on the part of the Skipper. As one of
themen said:

  "It ain't likely that there'll be any of us missin' in ther mornin', ifwe stays in our bunks all ther blessed night."

  And soon after this, eight bells went.