“After watching him for a few minutes, Bill Ellis, the second captain of the foretop, hailed him thus:  ‘Sadler, ahoy!  What do you want?’

“No answer being received, one of the mizzentop boys suggested that the old man had come back for his bag and hammock, and that they ought to be thrown overboard to him; but all this was cut short by the appearance of the commodore on the quarter-deck, and upon him all eyes were turned as he stepped upon the port horseblock, where a good view could be had.

“Now, old Jess was as brave an old fellow as ever sailed a ship, but he did not fancy ghosts, and the knowledge that all hands were looking at him to see how he took it made him feel a little nervous; but with a firm voice he called for his night-glass, and when the quartermaster, with a touch of his hat, handed it to him, he quietly arranged the focus, and, as we all supposed, was about to point it at Sadler, who was still dancing away for dear life all to himself.  But old Jess was too smart for that:  he quietly directed his glass to another quarter, to gain a little time, and, gradually sweeping the horizon, brought it at last, with a tremor of mortal dread, to bear dead upon the ghost.  Bless my soul! how the old gentleman shook!  But recovering himself, with a big gulp in his throat he turned to the chaplain and said, ’Did you read the full service over him to-day, Mr. T——?’

“‘I did, sir, as well as I can remember,’ replied Mr. T.

“‘Then, sir,’ said the commodore, turning to Mr. Bispham and speaking in an authoritative tone, ‘we must send a boat and bring him on board.’

“‘O Lord!  O Lord!—­bring a ghost on board!’ groaned the men.

“‘Silence, fore and aft!’ said Mr. Bispham, ’and call away the second cutter.’

“‘Away there, you second cutters, away!’ sung out the boatswain’s mate.  But they didn’t ‘away’ one step, and we youngsters could hear the men growling out, ’What does the commodore want with old Sadler?  This isn’t his place:  let the old man rip:  he is dead and buried all right.  We didn’t ship to go cruising after ghosts:  we shipped to reef topsails and work the big guns; and if old Jess wants old Sadler on board, he had better go after him himself.’  Some said he had come back after his bag and hammock, and the best way was to let him have them, and then he would top his boom and clear out.  Others said the purser had not squared off his account; and one of the afterguard was seen to tickle the mainmast and whistle for a breeze, to give the old fellow a wide berth.  But it wouldn’t do:  discipline is discipline; and after a free use of the colt and a good deal of hazing, the boat’s crew came aft, the cutter was lowered, and the men, with their oars up and eyes upon the ghost, were waiting the order to shove off, the bow oarsman having provided himself with a boarding-pike to ‘fend off,’ as he said, if the old man should fight.