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The shadowy； dark head； like mine； seemed to nod imperceptibly
above the ghostly gray of my sleeping suit。 It was； in the night；
as though I had been faced by my own reflection in the depths
of a somber and immense mirror。
〃A pretty thing to have to own up to for a Conway boy；〃
murmured my double； distinctly。
〃You're a Conway boy？〃
〃I am；〃 he said； as if startled。 Then； slowly 。 。 。 〃Perhaps you too〃
It was so； but being a couple of years older I had left before
he joined。 After a quick interchange of dates a silence fell；
and I thought suddenly of my absurd mate with his terrific whiskers
and the 〃Bless my soulyou don't say so〃 type of intellect。
My double gave me an inkling of his thoughts by saying：
〃My father's a parson in Norfolk。 Do you see me before a judge
and jury on that charge？ For myself I can't see the necessity。
There are fellows that an angel from heavenAnd I am not that。
He was one of those creatures that are just simmering
all the time with a silly sort of wickedness。
Miserable devils that have no business to live at all。
He wouldn't do his duty and wouldn't let anybody else do theirs。
But what's the good of talking！ You know well enough the sort
of ill…conditioned snarling cur〃
He appealed to me as if our experiences had been as identical as our clothes。
And I knew well enough the pestiferous danger of such a character where there
are no means of legal repression。 And I knew well enough also that my double
there was no homicidal ruffian。 I did not think of asking him for details；
and he told me the story roughly in brusque； disconnected sentences。
I needed no more。 I saw it all going on as though I were myself inside
that other sleeping suit。
〃It happened while we were setting a reefed foresail； at dusk。
Reefed foresail！ You understand the sort of weather。 The only sail we
had left to keep the ship running； so you may guess what it had been
like for days。 Anxious sort of job； that。 He gave me some of his cursed
insolence at the sheet。 I tell you I was overdone with this terrific weather
that seemed to have no end to it。 Terrific； I tell youand a deep ship。
I believe the fellow himself was half crazed with funk。 It was no time
for gentlemanly reproof； so I turned round and felled him like an ox。
He up and at me。 We closed just as an awful sea made for the ship。
All hands saw it coming and took to the rigging； but I had him by
the throat； and went on shaking him like a rat； the men above us yelling；
‘Look out！ look out！' Then a crash as if the sky had fallen on my head。
They say that for over ten minutes hardly anything was to be seen
of the shipjust the three masts and a bit of the forecastle head
and of the poop all awash driving along in a smother of foam。
It was a miracle that they found us； jammed together behind the forebitts。
It's clear that I meant business； because I was holding him by the throat
still when they picked us up。 He was black in the face。 It was too much
for them。 It seems they rushed us aft together； gripped as we were；
screaming ‘Murder！' like a lot of lunatics； and broke into the cuddy。
And the ship running for her life； touch and go all the time； any minute
her last in a sea fit to turn your hair gray only a…looking at it。
I understand that the skipper； too； started raving like the rest of them。
The man had been deprived of sleep for more than a week； and to have
this sprung on him at the height of a furious gale nearly drove him
out of his mind。 I wonder they didn't fling me overboard after
getting the carcass of their precious shipmate out of my fingers。
They had rather a job to separate us； I've been told。 A sufficiently
fierce story to make an old judge and a respectable jury sit up a bit。
The first thing I heard when I came to myself was the maddening
howling of that endless gale； and on that the voice of the old man。
He was hanging on to my bunk； staring into my face out of his sou'wester。
〃‘Mr。 Leggatt； you have killed a man。 You can act no longer
as chief mate of this ship。'〃
His care to subdue his voice made it sound monotonous。
He rested a hand on the end of the skylight to steady himself with；
and all that time did not stir a limb； so far as I could see。
〃Nice little tale for a quiet tea party；〃 he concluded
in the same tone。
One of my hands； too； rested on the end of the skylight； neither did I stir
a limb； so far as I knew。 We stood less than a foot from each other。
It occurred to me that if old 〃Bless my soulyou don't say so〃
were to put his head up the companion and catch sight of us；
he would think he was seeing double； or imagine himself come
upon a scene of weird witchcraft； the strange captain having
a quiet confabulation by the wheel with his own gray ghost。
I became very much concerned to prevent anything of the sort。
I heard the other's soothing undertone。
〃My father's a parson in Norfolk；〃 it said。 Evidently he had
forgotten he had told me this important fact before。
Truly a nice little tale。
〃You had better slip down into my stateroom now；〃 I said；
moving off stealthily。 My double followed my movements；
our bare feet made no sound； I let him in； closed the door
with care； and； after giving a call to the second mate；
returned on deck for my relief。
〃Not much sign of any wind yet；〃 I remarked when he approached。
〃No； sir。 Not much；〃 he assented； sleepily； in his hoarse voice；
with just enough deference； no more； and barely suppressing a yawn。
〃Well； that's all you have to look out for。 You have got your orders。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
I paced a turn or two on the poop and saw him take up his position face
forward with his elbow in the ratlines of the mizzen rigging before I
went below。 The mate's faint snoring was still going on peacefully。
The cuddy lamp was burning over the table on which stood a vase
with flowers； a polite attention from the ship's provision merchant
the last flowers we should see for the next three months at the very least。
Two bunches of bananas hung from the beam symmetrically； one on each
side of the rudder casing。 Everything was as before in the ship
except that two of her captain's sleeping suits were simultaneously
in use； one motionless in the cuddy； the other keeping very still
in the captain's stateroom。
It must be explained here that my cabin had the form of the capital
letter L； the door being within the angle and opening into the short part
of the letter。 A couch was to the left； the bed place to the right；
my writing desk and the chronometers' table faced the door。
But anyone opening it； unless he stepped right inside； had no
view of what I call the long （or vertical） part of the letter。
It contained some lockers surmounted by a bookcase； and a few clothes；
a thick jacket or two； caps； oilskin coat； and such like； hung on hooks。
There was at the bottom of that part a door opening into my bathroom；
which could be entered also directly from the saloon。
But that way was never used。
The mysterious arrival had discovered the advantage of this particular shape。
Entering my room； lighted strongly by a big bulkhead lamp swung on gimbals
above my writing desk； I did not see him anywhere till he stepped out quietly
from behind the coats hung in the recessed part。
〃I heard somebody moving about； and went in there at once；〃 he whispered。
I； too； spoke under my breath。
〃Nobody is likely to come in here without knocking and getting permission。〃
He nodded。 His face was thin and the sunburn faded； as though
he had been ill。 And no wonder。 He had been； I heard presently；
kept under arrest in his cabin for nearly seven weeks。
But there was nothing sickly in his eyes or in his expression。
He was not a bit like me； really； yet； as we stood leaning
over my bed place； whispering side by side； with our dark heads
together and our backs to the door； anybody bold enough to open
it stealthily would have been treated to the uncanny sight
of a double captain busy talking in whispers with his other self。
〃But all this doesn't tell me how you came to hang on to our side ladder；〃
I inquired； in the hardly audible murmurs we used； after he had told
me something more of the proceedings on board the Sephora once the bad
weather was over。
〃When we sighted Java Head I had had time to think all those matters
out several times over。 I had six weeks of doing nothing else；
and with only an hour or so every evening for a tramp on the quarter…deck。〃
He whispered； his arms folded on the side of my bed place； staring through
the open port。 And I could imagine perfectly the manner of this thinking out
a stubborn if not a steadfast operation； something of which I should have
been perfectly incapable。
〃I reckoned it would be dark before we closed with the land；〃
he continued； so low that I had to strain my hearing near
as we were to each ot