The weather at first was very beautiful, and so it remained, with a calm
sea and hardly a breath of wind, until nearly sunset of the second day.
Then clouds began to bank up, dark and threatening, and the glass--so
Webb, the first mate, reported to the captain--was going tumbling down.

"We are going to have a blow, sir," he said, "and it's coming up sharp
behind us. I reckon, sir, we'll have a ten-knotter afore the middle watch
is called!"

"Well, then, have the fires banked, Mr. Webb, as soon as the wind is
strong enough to get way on her. I wouldn't set too much sail, and if it
does come a gale, I'd ease her right away. You know what she can do,
Mate."

"Ay, ay, sir!"

"Well, I think that's all."

But the mate didn't move.

"Anything else, Mr. Webb?"

"There is something else, sir," said the mate rather sheepishly.

"Well, out with it. Why, you look as if you'd seen a ghost!"

"Well, sir, there is a ghost, or demon, or something aboard of this very
ship, and some of the crew are in a state next door to mutiny about it."

"What on earth do you mean, Mr. Webb?"