“But dat take time and an anchor-watch last but two hour, surposin’ even dat’ey puts all t’ree of us in de same watch.”

“Spike usually does that, you know. `Let the cook and the stewards keep the midnight watch,’ he commonly says, `and that will give the foremost hands a better snooze."’

“Yes, he do say dat, Josh,” put in Simon, “most ebbery time we comes-to.”

“I know he does, and surposes he will say it to-night, if he comes-to to-night.  But a two hour watch may not be long enough to do all you wants; and den, jest t’ink for a moment, should ’e cap’in come on deck and hail’e forecastle, and find us all gone, I wouldn’t be in your skin, Jack, for dis brig, in sich a kerlamity.  I knows Cap’in Spike well; t’ree time I endebber to run myself, and each time he bring me up wid a round turn; so, now-a-days, I nebber t’inks of sich a projeck any longer.”

“But I do not intend to leave the forecastle without some one on it to answer a hail.  No, all I want is a companion; for I do not like to go out on the reef at midnight, all alone.  If one of you will go with me, the other can stay and answer the captain’s hail, should he really come on deck in our watch—­a thing very little likely to happen.  When once his head is on his pillow, a’ter a hard day’s work, it’s not very apt to be lifted ag’in without a call, or a squall.  If you do know Stephen Spike well, Josh, I know him better.”

“Well, Jack, dis here is a new idee, d’ye see, and a body must take time to consider on it.  If Simon and I do ship for dis v’y’ge, ’t will be for lub of Mr. Mulford, and not for his money or your’n".

This was all the encouragement of his project Jack Tier could obtain, on that occasion, from either his brother steward, or from the cook.  These blacks were well enough disposed to rescue an innocent and unoffending man from the atrocious death to which Spike had condemned his mate, but neither lost sight of his own security and interest.  They promised Tier not to betray him, however; and he had the fullest confidence in their pledges.  They who live together in common, usually understand the feeling that prevails, on any given point, in their own set; and Jack felt pretty certain that Harry was a greater favourite in and about the camboose than the captain.  On that feeling he relied, and he was fain to wait the course of events, ere he came to any absolute conclusion as to his own course.

The interview in the galley took place about half an hour before the brig anchored for the night.  Tier, who often assisted on such occasions, went aloft to help secure the royal, one of the gaskets of which had got loose, and from the yard he had an excellent opportunity to take a look at the reef, the situation of the vessel, and the probable bearings of the rock on which poor Mulford had been devoted to a miserable death.  This opportunity was much increased by Spike’s hailing him, while on the yard, and ordering