“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 the sperrits, Jim. And now you’ve spoke up free, and I’ll take it kind if you’d step down into that there cabin and get me a⁠—well, a⁠—shiver my timbers! I can’t hit the name on’t. Well, you get me a bottle of wine, Jim⁠—this here brandy’s too strong for my head.”

Now the coxswain’s hesitation seemed to be unnatural; and as for the notion of his preferring wine to brandy, I entirely disbelieved it. The whole story was a pretext. He wanted me to leave the deck⁠—so much was plain, but with what purpose I could in no way imagine. His eyes never met mine; they kept wandering to and fro, up and down, now with a look to the sky, now with a flitting glance upon the dead O’Brien. All the time he kept smiling and putting his tongue out in the most guilty, embarrassed manner, so that a child could have told that he was bent on some deception. I was prompt with my answer, however, for I saw where my advantage lay, and that with a fellow so densely stupid I could easily conceal my suspicions to the end.