‘It’s his ghost!’ she screamed, taking another horrified glance at the bobbing, grimacing thing as it travelled slowly across the broad wake. ‘What have I done, James, that you should appear like this?’ she moaned. ‘I’m sure I thought you’d be comfortable down there!’ And here she began to laugh hysterically; and, held forcibly on the deck by the sorely-tried skipper, went off into a succession of violent fits. ‘Main topsail braces there, some of you!’ roared the mate, who, aroused by the cry of ‘Man overboard!’ uttered by one of the boys, had rushed on deck. ‘Come here, four hands, and clear away the life-boat.’ ‘Don’t be a fool, Mr Sparkes!’ shouted the skipper, still struggling with the widow, who had got one hand in his long beard and was pulling it out by the roots. ‘Never mind the boat!’ he panted, for the real state of the case had broken upon him. ‘But come and take this she-devil away! Let _It_ go to blazes as fast as it likes! It’s got a fair wind, seemingly, and that’s more’n we have!’ * * * * * Anchor watch off Geelong, Victoria. Apparently the whole thing had quietly blown over. When the mate, with a terribly long face, had reported to the captain, as nearly as he could, the amount of cargo missing, and proposed as a set-off, to put one-half of each watch in irons until arrival, the skipper had only laughed. He obviously enjoyed the responsible man’s dismay. ‘Nothing of the sort,’ he replied. ‘We can’t do without ’em. We’re bound to get a good blow or two ’tween here and Port Phillip Heads, and where would we be with half the men in irons, and the rest sulking? You’re a fool, Sparkes. I’m goin’ to smooth ’em down. They’ll have cabin biscuits and plum-duff three times a week from this out. And you knock off hazing ’em about so much’—chuckling heartily at the other’s stare of amazement—‘till we get abreast of Sandridge Pier. Then up goes the police flag. I’ll surprise the varmin, or my name ain’t John Flett! Meanwhile, let a couple of the hard-bargains[6] sling their hammocks in the after-hold. That’ll stop any more larks with the cargo. Has she been up in your watch since?’ [Footnote 6: Apprentices.] ‘Never seen a rag of her,’ answered the mate, who knew well to whom the skipper referred. ‘Kept her cabin ever since, I do believe.’ ‘Damned good job too!’ said his superior, as he tenderly felt his face. ‘Who’d have thought that _It_ was hers anyhow!’ But ‘hard-bargains’ have long ears. One of them overheard the above conversation, and, reporting it to the crew, they got ready. Also, on making the land, everything went wrong. Twelve hours vain signalling for a pilot made a big hole in the skipper’s temper. So when, at last, one came off, and, to his astonishment, got soundly rated, with a promise of report, he, in revenge, box-hauled the _Sardanapalus_ about until dark, and then brought-up with every link of hawse out, in a particularly muddy spot opposite Geelong.