he wind, serving us to a desire, now hauled into the west. We could run so much the easier from the north-east corner of the island to the mouth of the North Inlet.
Only, as we had no power to anchor and dared not beach her till the tide had flowed a good deal farther, time hung on our hands.
The coxswain told me how to lay the ship to; after a good many trials I succeeded, and we both sat in silence over another meal.
'Cap’n,' said he at length with that same uncomfortable smile, 'here’s my old shipmate, O’Brien; s’pose you was to heave him overboard.
I ain’t partic’lar as a rule, and I don’t take no blame for settling his hash, but I don’t reckon him ornamental now, do you? ' 'I’m not strong enough, and I don’t like the job; and there he lies, for me,' said I.
'This here’s an unlucky ship, this Hispaniola, Jim,' he went on, blinking. 'There’s a power of men been killed in this Hispaniola—a sight o’ poor seamen dead and gone since you and me took ship to Bristol. I never seen sich dirty luck, not I.
There was this here O’Brien now—he’s dead, ain’t he?
Well now, I’m no scholar, and you’re a lad as can read and figure, and to put it straight, do you take it as a dead man is dead for good, or do he come alive again? ' 'You can kill the body, Mr.
Hands, but not the spirit; you must know that already,' I replied. 'O’Brien there is in another world, and may be watching us. ' 'Ah! ' says he. 'Well, that’s unfort’nate—appears as if killing parties was a waste of time.
Howsomever, sperrits don’t reckon for much, by what I’ve seen. I’ll chance it with