I had made it a rule long ago, when I had first gone to sea, that I would
never miss a watch below when my turn came if I could be spared with
convenience. It is a question always with a sailor when he will be called
to shorten sail for a blow, and the best thing he can do is to keep
regular hours when he can, and stand by for a crisis when all hands are
necessary. With a captain it might be different, for the entire
responsibility rests upon him. He also does not have to stand watch, and
consequently has no reason to be tired after several hours on deck. But
with a sailor or mate who stands his four hours off and on, he must take
care he is not pushed beyond his time, for the occasion will certainly
come sooner or later when he will have to stand through several watches
without a rest. Then, if he is already tired out, he will be useless.

I turned in with a strange feeling about the matter forward and the
third officer's conduct. Although I knew Trunnell would take care that
the ruffian would not get loose again that night during his watch, I
took out a heavy revolver from my locker and stuck it under the pillow
of my bunk. Then I saw that the door and port were fast before I jammed
myself in for a rest.

I lay a long time thinking over the strange outfit on board, and the more
I thought over the matter, the more I became convinced that the third
officer had taken a hand in letting Andrews loose to try his hand on me
again. There was something uncanny about this officer with a woman's
voice, and I actually began to have a secret loathing not entirely
unmixed with fear for him.

When I turned out for the morning watch, Trunnell met me in the alleyway.
He looked wild and bushy from his exposure to the elements, his hair
being in snarls and tangles from having a sou'wester jammed over his