And wheres the schoolmaster got to? said the captain.
Hes gone.
Gone? they all repeated together.
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Aye, sir, gone! And if ever a man has gone body and soul, I declares he has; for I solemnly and soberly declares that I seed him hoisted up and removed downstairs by a couple of horrible light-faces.
Light-faces? roared the captain.
Yes, sir, coves with faces all a-shine. Why, I wouldnt settle down and live within a hundred miles of Romney Marsh for a thousand guineas a year pension, I wouldnt; for talk about devils, the place stinks of them!
Now, look here, my man, said the captain, just pull yourself in a brace or two and tell me what happened.
Why, so I will, said the bosun, for queer, most queer it be.
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Chapter 21
The Bosuns Story
Nothing happened, sir, for some hour or so after you left, and then things made up for lost time, as twere, and came fast and quick. I was sitting outside this here room with the door on the jaroutside I was, cos I couldnt bear the sight of that schoolmasters face. I think youll own yourself, sir, that it wasnt just exactly wot you might call a pleasant evening face especially, a-battered about as it was. Poor Bill Spiker and Morgan Walters here was asleep downstairs, for wed agreed that I should stand first watch.
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Well, the boys had brought us over our allowance of rum from the barn, and wed all had a drop, though I kept most of mine to the end of my watch, thinking to use it for a nightcap, as twere, but the little drop I did get was making me feel very drowsy, and I began to think the next hour would never go, when I could wake up Bill Spiker. Presently I hears a noise of galloping horses. I goes to the window on the stairs there, and looks out. Right along the road I could see those same riders with lit-up faces wot Id seed the night before last. I know it was them, cos I could see their faces, you understand, when quite sudden I was seized from behind and pulled over backwards down the stairs. I fought the best I could, but there was a sort of overpowering smell upon a kerchief wot had been pulled over my mouth, and I was lifted up on four mens shoulders, as it seemed. I couldnt see anything of their faces, but as I went up the stairway on their shoulders I just remember a-seein that schoolmaster acomin down in the same fashion as I was a-goin up, only that he only required making me feel very drowsy, and I began to think the next hour would never go, when I could wake up Bill Spiker. Presently I hears a noise of galloping horses. I goes to the window on the stairs there, and looks out. Right along the road I could see those same riders with lit-up faces wot Id seed the night before last. I know it was them, cos I could see their faces, you understand, when quite sudden I was seized from behind and pulled over backwards down the stairs. I fought the best I could, but there was a sort of overpowering smell upon a kerchief wot had been pulled over my mouth, and I was lifted up on four mens shoulders, as it seemed. I couldnt see anything of their faces, but as I went up the stairway on their shoulders I just remember a-seein that schoolmaster acomin down in the same fashion as I was a-goin up, only that he only required
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two to hold him. Now, whether this was because I was heavier, I dont know, or whether cos he was only a-comin down while I was a-goin up, or whether the things wot had got hold of me was real or sham, as twere, but certain am I the two things wot had the schoolmasterand things I must call em, though they was a bit like menhad got the same shiny faces all alight, just like wot them demon riders had; and then I dont remember nothing else till I was woke up by hearin a sort of horrible shriek downstairs which I thought was just a dream, but now suppose was poor Bill a-voicin his last opinion in this world, as twere. After that I went to sleep again; then I was waked up again by a sort of groanin, which I finds was myself, and then in comes you after a long time and lets me go, as twere, and thats all I knows, so help me God, sir; but quite enough for one night, as I thinks youll agree.
Morgan Walters then gave his version of what happened in the night, which bore out certain points of the bosuns story.
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He had soon fallen into a deep sleep, but was awakened with a feeling that something was wrong. He tried to move but couldnt; indeed, he could scarcely breathe. The only things that he could see were two dark forms moving about the room, but their faces were lit up by a curious light. These two things passed out of the room, and then for what seemed in interminable time Morgan Walters worked away at his bonds, and presently became aware that his companion was doing likewise. They couldnt talk, for they found that, just as soon as they tried to, the breath that they took in through the anćsthetic overpowered their senses. Presently Morgan Walters thought that he could hear the sound of horses. It sounded like a regiment of packponies trotting on the highroadtlip tlop they went, a slow tlip tlop, and a lot of them, too. These were his very words. Then he heard a sigh of satisfaction from his companion, and saw him stand up, for he had partially unbound himself. Whether to let in the refreshing sea air, or whether he had also heard the horses
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and wanted to locate them, Morgan Walters couldnt say, but Bill Spiker had got to the broken window and unbolted the shutters. He felt the cold air come into the room with a great gasp, and then he seemed to have dozed off again, but the next thing he heard was a great scream of agony, and turning over he beheld Bill Spiker embracing the wall, and the wall held him up, for there was a weapon transfixed to it through his companions neck. The very horror and sudden surprise of the thing caused Morgan Walters to make a superb effort, and he somehow stood upon his feet. Then came a curious thing: He saw between himself and the now repulsive form of his fellow a mana yellow-faced manthe mulatto seaman. With one hand the creature plucked the weapon from the wall and drew it back through the bleeding neck that held it. This was strangely vivid to Morgan Walters, and he could recall his thought of wonder that the blood in no way stained the yellow hand that drew the reeking steel from the flesh. The body of Bill Spiker fell from the wall and collapsed in
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a heap, and a hand seemed to strike Morgan Walters at the same time, for he lost consciousness again and remembered little else.
Did the mulatto touch you? asked the captain, speaking suddenly and rather loud, so that all in the room gave a perceptible start. Think well, my man.
I am quite certain of that, sir. I know he did not!
And yet you were knocked down!
So it seems, sir, but it may have been just losing consciousness again. Ive never fainted before, so perhaps it was that, or the effects of the smelly stuff on the kerchief.
And you remember nothing else?
One thing, though whether I dreamt that or not I couldnt swear to, but it seemed that when I come to something like myself the dawn was breaking, for the room was filled with a gray light, when suddenly something came into the
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room and closed those shutters. Then I fell off into another sort of sleep and dreamt that people were trying to wake me up by banging on the shutters, and then at lasthours after it, it seemedyou came, sir, and freed me.