“Here, lads,” said the mate, pointing to the boat which was hanging from the davits, “jump in and lower away. Old Bunks is in the water astern. Look alive now!” They stepped up to the boat and began to right side her, when out from his lurking-place behind the galley sprang the giant, and in a trice, with a heavy cudgel, he knocked the three poor fellows down like ninepins, and before they could recover, picked them up one by one like bags of chaff, and tossed them over the bulwarks into the silent sea. At this sight my senses nearly forsook me; but clasping the mizzen top-mast convulsively I hung on, cogitating what to do, and deciding that if either of the three fiends below should attempt to ascend the shrouds to take me, I would save them the commission of another murder by precipitating myself on the hard deck below, thus hoping to kill myself instantaneously. They descended into the fo’castle, looked into the cook’s galley and under the boat to try and discover me, and I heard them mention my name several times, coupled with most awful threats and voluble profanity. They did not appear to think of looking aloft for me; but as I pressed my body to the mast I was afraid, so great was my agitation, and knowing wood to be such a splendid conductor of sound, that they might hear the violent throbbing of my heart as they passed the foot of the mast. It was a foolish idea, but at the time I quite believed it beat with noise enough to betray me. After another search the mate, with an oath, exclaimed, “Leave the ---- till the morning; we can scrag him then just as well as now. Come below, lads, and have a drink, for I think we’ve finished our job in a very neat fashion!” They all went down into the little cabin, which contained two berths, one for the captain and the other for the dastardly mate. The skylight being a little open I could hear them talking, but could not distinguish what they said; and I could also hear the clinking of glasses and the drawing of corks. But what of Captain Cooper? So far I had neither heard nor seen him. Was he dead, or what had become of him? I had no means of ascertaining.