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I
Iheardtheotherraisehisvoiceincredulously—“What?TheCaptainhimself?”Thenafewmoremurmurs,adoorclosed,thenanother.AfewmomentslaterIwentondeck.
Mystrangeness,whichhadmademesleepless,hadpromptedthatunconventionalarrangement,asifIhadexpectedinthosesolitaryhoursofthenighttogetontermswiththeshipofwhichIknewnothing,mannedbymenofwhomIknewverylittlemore.Fastalongsideawharf,litteredlikeanyshipinportwithatangleofunrelatedthings,invadedbyunrelatedshorepeople,Ihadhardlyseenheryetproperly.Now,asshelayclearedforsea,thestretchofhermain-deckseemedtomeveryfineunderthestars.Veryfine,veryroomyforhersize,andveryinviting.Idescendedthepoopandpacedthewaist,mymindpicturingtomyselfthecomingpassagethroughtheMalayArchipelago,downtheIndianOcean,anduptheAtlantic.Allitsphaseswerefamiliarenoughtome,everycharacteristic,allthealternativeswhichwerelikelytofacemeonthehighseas—everything!...exceptthenovelresponsibilityofcommand.ButItookheartfromthereasonablethoughtthattheshipwaslikeotherships,themenlikeothermen,andthattheseawasnotlikelytokeepanyspecialsurprisesexpresslyformydiscomfiture.
Arrivedatthatcomfortingconclusion,Ibethoughtmyselfofacigarandwentbelowtogetit.Allwasstilldownthere.Everybodyattheafterendoftheshipwassleepingprofoundly.
