I reached him, and held the light up for him to catch.  He stooped, and took it from me.  Then, holding it above his head, he went a few ratlines higher.  In this manner, he reached to a level with the royal yard.  From my position, a little below him, the lantern seemed but to throw a few straggling, flickering rays along the spar; yet they showed me something.  My first glance had been to wind’ard, and I had seen at once, that there was nothing on the weather yard arm.  From there my gaze went to leeward.  Indistinctly, I saw something upon the yard, that clung, struggling.  Stubbins bent towards it with the light; thus I saw it more clearly.  It was Jacobs, the Ordinary Seaman.  He had his right arm tightly round the yard; with the other, he appeared to be fending himself from something on the other side of him, and further out upon the yard.  At times, moans and gasps came from him, and sometimes curses.  Once, as he appeared to be dragged partly from his hold, he screamed like a woman.  His whole attitude suggested stubborn despair.  I can scarcely tell you how this extraordinary sight affected me.  I seemed to stare at it without realising that the affair was a real happening.

During the few seconds which I had spent staring and breathless, Stubbins had climbed round the after side of the mast, and now I began again to follow him.

From his position below me, the Second had not been able to see the thing that was occurring on the yard, and he sung out to me to know what was happening.

“It’s Jacobs, Sir,” I called back.  “He seems to be fighting with someone to looard of him.  I can’t see very plainly yet.”

Stubbins had got round on to the lee foot-rope, and now he held the lantern up, peering, and I made my way quickly alongside of him.  The Second Mate followed; but instead of getting down on to the foot-rope, he got on the yard, and stood there holding on to the tie.  He sung out for one of us to pass him up the lantern, which I did, Stubbins handing it to me.  The Second held it out at arm’s length, so that it lit up the lee part of the yard.  The light showed through the darkness, as far as to where Jacobs struggled so weirdly.  Beyond him, nothing was distinct.

There had been a moment’s delay while we were passing the lantern up to the Second Mate.  Now, however, Stubbins and I moved out slowly along the foot-rope.  We went slowly; but we did well to go at all, with any show of boldness; for the whole business was so abominably uncanny.  It seems impossible to convey truly to you, the strange scene on the royal yard.  You may be able to picture it yourselves.  The Second Mate standing upon the spar, holding the lantern; his body swaying with each roll of the ship, and his head craned forward as he peered along the yard.  On our left, Jacobs, mad, fighting, cursing, praying, gasping; and outside of him, shadows and the night.

The Second Mate spoke, abruptly.