A grunt succeeded, which Mark scarce knew how to interpret.  It might mean dissatisfaction, or it might mean surprise.  As the captain, however, was thoroughly awake, and was making his preparations to come out on deck, he thought that he had done all that duty required, and he returned to his own post.  The after-part of the ship was now the best situation for watching, and Mark went up on the poop, in order to see and hear the better.  No lower sail being in the way, he could look ahead almost as well from that position as if he were forward; and as for hearing, it was much the best place of the two, in consequence of there being no wash of the sea directly beneath him, as was the case when stationed between the knight-heads.  To this post he soon summoned Bob Betts, who belonged to his watch, and with whom he had ever kept up as great an intimacy as the difference in their stations would allow.

“Bob, your ears are almost as good as your eyes,” said Mark; “have you heard nothing of breakers?”

“I have, Mr. Woolston, and now own I did see something that may have been white water, this afternoon, while aloft; but the captain and second-mate seemed so awarse to believing in sich a thing, out here in the open Pacific, that I got to be awarse, too.”

“It was a great fault in a look-out not to let what he had seen be known,” said Mark, gravely.

“I own it, sir; I own how wrong I was, and have been sorry for it ever since.  But it’s going right in the wind’s eye, Mr. Woolston, to go ag’in captain and dickey!”

“But, you now think you have heard breakers—­where away?”

“Astarn first; then ahead; and, just as you called me up on the poop, sir, I fancied they sounded off here, on the weather bow.”

“Are you serious, Bob?”

“As I ever was in my life, Mr. Mark.  This oversight of the arternoon has made me somewhat conscientious, if I can be conscientious, and my sight and hearing are now both wide awake.  It’s my opinion, sir, that the ship is in the midst of breakers at this instant, and that we may go on ’em at any moment!”

“The devil it is!” exclaimed Captain Crutchely, who now appeared on the poop, and who caught the last part of Bob Betts’s speech.  “Well, for my part, I hear nothing out of the way, and I will swear the keenest-sighted man on earth can see nothing.”

These words were scarcely out of the captain’s mouth, and had been backed by a senseless, mocking laugh from Hillson, who was still muzzy, and quite as much asleep as awake, when the deep and near roar of breakers was most unequivocally heard.  It came from to windward, too and abeam!  This was proof that the ship was actually among the breakers when Mark hauled up, and that she was now passing a danger to leeward, that she must have previously gone by, in running down on her course.  The captain, without waiting to consult with his cool and clear-headed young mate, now shouted for all hands to be called,