"Halloa!" cried Mr Brymer--"a spy! Who's that--Walters?" "No, sir; it is I." "And what are you doing there, listening?" "I was watching the phosphorescence of the sea, sir, and you came and stood close to me and began talking." "And you heard?" said Mr Frewen. "Every word, sir." "And do you know that we were talking about Mr Denning?" said the mate. "No; you were talking about the captain." They were silent for a few moments, and then Mr Frewen spoke. "Look here, Dale," he said, "this is a delicate matter. You have seen that Captain Berriman is ill?" "I thought he was very strange, and a bit cross sometimes." "Far worse than that. Look here, Dale, if you go chattering about what you have heard," said Mr Brymer, "you may make a great deal of mischief." "I am not likely to talk about it to anybody unless it be to Mr Denning," I said, feeling a little hurt. "Then pray don't mention it to him. It would only make him and his sister uneasy," cried Mr Frewen, quickly. "I'm afraid they've seen enough for themselves," said Mr Brymer. "Look here, youngster, I shall speak plainly to you, because you are a sensible lad. If you spoke about what we have said, and it reached Captain Berriman's ear now he is in that excitable state, he would immediately think I was conspiring against him, go frantic, and there might be terrible mischief. So don't say a word, even to your messmate, or he'll go chattering to that French scoundrel and the rest of the men. By the way, Dale, let me give you a word of advice. I don't like the way in which young Walters is going on. It is not becoming for a midshipman or apprentice to make friends too readily with the sailors. Don't you follow his example." "I don't sir," I said indignantly. "Softly, my lad; I've seen you talking a good deal with that old fellow Hampton, and the two men with him." "Oh yes; I have talked to them a good deal," I said: "but it was only when we were on the watch, and I wanted them to tell me something about the sea." "Ah, well, be careful, my lad. Here, shake hands. I'm not cross with you, for you have behaved uncommonly well since you've been on board. There, that will do." "Good-night, Dale," said Mr Frewen, kindly; "a still tongue maketh a wise head, my lad." They walked on, and disappeared in the darkness directly, while I stood with my back to the bulwarks and my hands in my pockets, thinking about what they had said, and recalling the little things I had thought nothing of at the time, but which came back now looking to be big things. Yes, I remembered the captain had certainly been rather strange in his manner sometimes. Why, of course, Mr Denning had said to his sister that the captain need not be so disagreeable to the men.