The Englishman gripped me by the sleeve to whirl me about, but as his
fingers touched the soaked cloth of my jacket, he burst forth with an
oath.

"By God! but he's wet enough to be the same lad you chucked overboard
an hour ago. Damn me, I believe he is. Say, mate, are you the gay buck
we hauled aboard drunk, and dumped inter the for'cassel?"

"I dunno, sir," I answered dumbly, believing it best not to remember
too much. "I couldn't even tell yer whut ship this is, ner how I
signed on. Last I seem ter remember I wus ashore frum the schooner
_Caroline_; but this yere is a bark."

Haines laughed, already convinced of my identity, and considering it a
good joke.

"Well, my buck, I'll tell yer whar yer are, an' likewise how yer got
yere," he chuckled. "I wus one of a party frum this hooker ashore
'bout dusk, when yer hove in sight 'bout as drunk as a sailorman kin
get. Fact is yer wus so soused yer stumbled inter the wrong boat, and
went ter sleep. We're allers ready fer ter take on a new hand er two,
so we just let yer lie thar, an' brought yer aboard. 'Bout an hour ago
yer must a had a touch o' tremens, fer, all at onct yer cum chargin'
out on deck, an' tried ter knife LeVere, an' he flung yer overboard.
We sorter figured thet yer went down, an' never cum up agin."

LeVere broke in with a savage snarl.

"What's all that? Do you mean, Haines, that this is the same damned
scamp who tried to stick me?"