When eight bells went, and we mustered aft for roll-call, there was a considerable delay, owing to the Mate refusing to call the roll until Tom (who as usual, had only turned out of his bunk at the last minute) came aft to answer his name.  When, at last, he did come, the Second and the Mate joined in giving him a good dressing down for a lazy sojer; so that several minutes passed before we were on our way forrard again.  This was a small enough matter in itself, and yet really terrible in its consequence to one of our number; for, just as we reached the fore rigging, there was a shout aloft, loud above the noise of the wind, and the next moment, something crashed down into our midst, with a great, slogging thud—­something bulky and weighty, that struck full upon Jock, so that he went down with a loud, horrible, ringing “ugg,” and never said a word.  From the whole crowd of us there went up a yell of fear, and then, with one accord, there was a run for the lighted fo’cas’le.  I am not ashamed to say that I ran with the rest.  A blind, unreasoning fright had seized me, and I did not stop to think.

Once in the fo’cas’le and the light, there was a reaction.  We all stood and looked blankly at one another for a few moments.  Then someone asked a question, and there was a general murmur of denial.  We all felt ashamed, and someone reached up and unhooked the lantern on the port side.  I did the same with the starboard one; and there was a quick movement towards the doors.  As we streamed out on deck, I caught the sound of the Mates’ voices.  They had evidently come down from off the poop to find out what had happened; but it was too dark to see their whereabouts.

“Where the hell have you all got to?” I heard the Mate shout.

The next instant, they must have seen the light from our lanterns; for I heard their footsteps, coming along the deck at a run.  They came the starboard side, and just abaft the fore rigging, one of them stumbled and fell over something.  It was the First Mate who had tripped.  I knew this by the cursing that came directly afterwards.  He picked himself up, and, apparently without stopping to see what manner of thing it was that he had fallen over, made a rush to the pin-rail.  The Second Mate ran into the circle of light thrown by our lanterns, and stopped, dead—­ eyeing us doubtfully.  I am not surprised at this, now, nor at the behaviour of the Mate, the following instant; but at that time, I must say I could not conceive what had come to them, particularly the First Mate.  He came out at us from the darkness with a rush and a roar like a bull and brandishing a belaying-pin.  I had failed to take into account the scene which his eyes must have shown him:—­the whole crowd of men in the fo’cas’le—­both watches—­pouring out on to the deck in utter confusion, and greatly excited, with a couple of fellows at their head, carrying lanterns.  And before this, there had been the cry aloft and the crash down on deck, followed by the shouts of the frightened crew, and the sounds of many feet running.  He may well have taken the cry for a signal, and our actions for something not far short of mutiny.  Indeed, his words told us that this was his very thought.