"You tink so, sah?" chuckled 'Pollo. "Sartin sure." "Den I wear white hankcher and white wescoat ebery day; and make some darn niggah clean my boots free times over. Yah, yah, yah." "Here, I shall be smothered if I stop up here much longer, 'Pollo," said Oakum, stepping out upon the deck, where all was dark and silent, only a very faint light now coming up through the cabin skylight. "It am hot, sar, berry hot," said 'Pollo, and they stood at the side staring at the shore, where the undergrowth seemed to be lit up by a shower of fallen stars, which leaped and danced from leaf to leaf, while the very sea beneath them seemed alive with pale shining points of light, which glided softly along till some fish darted through the water and made the little starry dots flash into a long line of light. Against the side of the ship there seemed to be so much pale golden light rising and falling, showing the copper sheathing of the vessel, and surrounding it with a soft halo which made its shape just faintly outlined from stem to stern. The cables, too, by which it was moored could be faintly traced as lines of light illuminated and sparkling right to the sand below, and for some little time the two men stood watching in silence. "Dat's shark," whispered 'Pollo, suddenly, as he pointed down to where the points of light flashed more vividly as they were agitated, and though they could not make out the shape of the monster, it was plain to see that some great fish was slowly gliding through the water. "What's he hanging about after?" said Oakum, watching the place intently. "I should have thought it had been made too warm for them gentlemen, and they'd have give us a wide berth." "He know somebody go to die soon," said 'Pollo, in a low voice. "Dat Mass' Studwick or pretty Missee Pugh." "Don't you talk humbug," said Oakum, with a growl. "Phew! it's strange and hot; I shall go and turn in." "You soon turn out again. Mass' Oakum, you go below. De cockroach hab fine game night like dis hyar, sah, and de skeetas buzz bout like anyfing. You top on deck and lay down under de awning. Dey coming on deck dose oder chap half baked, sah." "How do you know?" growled Sam. "I hear some one, sah, just now come crawl up, and--Oh, Goramighty, who hit me on de head?" For just then there was a dull thud, a fall, and Sam Oakum felt himself seized from behind, and a hard hand placed over his mouth. He was too sturdy a fellow, though, to submit to that, and wrenching himself free he sent one of his assailants one way, and the other sprawling over the body of 'Pollo, and darting aside, he gave a spring, caught at the inner side of the main shrouds, swung his legs up, and as the two men ran in pursuit of him they passed beneath him in the darkness, and he climbed softly up higher and higher, then crawling round to the outside, and clung there, gazing down into the darkness below, feeling that he had had a narrow escape for his life.