By this sudden desertion, Wilder found himself in entire possession of that part of the vessel where he stood.  It gave him a better opportunity to renew his examination, and to cast a scrutinizing eye also over the new comers.

Some five or six athletic-looking seamen ascended from the boat, in profound silence.  A short and whispered conference took place between them and their officer, who appeared both to receive a report, and to communicate an order.  When these preliminary matters were ended, a line was lowered, from a whip on the main-yard, the end evidently dropping into the newly-arrived boat.  In a moment, the burthen it was intended to transfer to the ship was seen swinging in the air, midway between the water and the spar.  It then slowly descended, inclining inboard until it was safely, and somewhat carefully, landed on the decks of the vessel.

During the whole of this process, which in itself had nothing extraordinary or out of the daily practice of large vessels in port, Wilder had strained his eyes, until they appeared nearly ready to start from their sockets.  The black mass, which had been lifted from the boat, seemed, while it lay against the background of sky, to possess the proportions of the human form.  The seamen gathered about this object After much bustle, and a good deal of low conversation, the burthen or body, whichever it might be called, was raised by the men, and the whole disappeared together, behind the masts, boats, and guns which crowded the forward part of the vessel.

The whole event was of a character to attract the attention of Wilder.  His eye was not, however, so intently riveted on the groupe in the gangway, as to prevent his detecting a dozen black objects, that were suddenly thrust forward, from behind the spars and other dark masses of the vessel.  They might be blocks swinging in the air, but they bore also a wonderful resemblance to human heads.  The simultaneous manner in which they both appeared and disappeared, served to confirm this impression; nor, to confess the truth, had our adventurer any doubt that curiosity had drawn so many inquiring countenances from their respective places of concealment.  He had not much leisure, however, to reflect on all these little accompaniments of his situation, before he was rejoined by his former companion, who, to all appearance, was again left, with himself, to the entire possession of the deck.

“You know the trouble of getting off the people from the shore,” the officer observed, “when a ship is ready to sail.”

“You seem to have a summary method of hoisting them in,” returned Wilder.

“Ah! you speak of the fellow on the whip?  Your eyes are good, friend, to tell a jack-knife from a marling-spike, at this distance.  But the lad was mutinous; that is, not absolutely mutinous—­but, drunk.  As mutinous as a man can well be, who can neither speak, sit, nor stand.”

Then, as if as well content with his humour as with this simple explanation, the other laughed and chuckled, in a manner that showed he was in perfect good humour with himself.