countenance if the great part of it had not been swathed up in
cotton-wool and bandages. His ebony eyebrows, more sinister than ever
amongst all that lot of white linen, came together in a frown as he made
a mighty effort to say:

"Yes, I have seen."

The wretchedness in his eyes would have awakened the compassion of
any other man than Captain Johns. But Captain Johns was all agog with
triumphant excitement. He was just a little bit frightened, too. He
looked at that unbelieving scoffer laid low, and did not even dimly
guess at his profound, humiliating distress. He was not generally
capable of taking much part in the anguish of his fellow-creatures. This
time, moreover, he was excessively anxious to know what had happened.
Fixing his credulous eyes on the bandaged head, he asked, trembling
slightly:

"And did it--did it knock you down?"

"Come! am I the sort of man to be knocked down by a ghost?" protested
Bunter in a little stronger tone. "Don't you remember what you said
yourself the other night? Better men than me------Ha! you'll have to
look a long time before you find a better man for a mate of your ship."

Captain Johns pointed a solemn finger at Bunter's bedplace.

"You've been terrified," he said. "That's what's the matter. You've been
terrified. Why, even the man at the wheel was scared, though he couldn't
see anything. He _felt_ the supernatural. You are punished for your
incredulity, Mr. Bunter. You were terrified."