Chapter 27 - Page 2

They watched us long and earnestly. But curious to tell, in that very
strait of theirs, perched together in that airy top, their domestic
differences again broke forth; most probably, from their being
suddenly forced into such very close contact.

However that might be, taking advantage of our descent into the
cabin, Samoa, in desperation fled from his wife, and one-armed as he
was, sailor-like, shifted himself over by the fore and aft-stays to
the main-top, his musket being slung to his back. And thus divided,
though but a few yards intervened, the pair were as much asunder as
if at the opposite Poles.

During the live-long night they were both in great perplexity as to
the extraordinary goblins on board. Such inquisitive, meddlesome
spirits, had never before been encountered. So cool and systematic;
sagaciously stopping the vessel's headway the better torummage;--the
very plan they themselves had adopted. But what most
surprised them, was our striking a light, a thing of which no true
ghost would be guilty. Then, our eating and drinking on the quarter-
deck including the deliberate investment of Vienna; and many other
actions equally strange, almost led Samoa to fancy that we were no
shades, after all, but a couple of men from the moon.

Yet they had dimly caught sight of the frocks and trowsers we wore,
similar to those which the captain of the Parki had bestowed upon the
two Cholos, and in which those villains had been killed. This, with
the presence of the whale boat, united to chase away the conceit of
our lunar origin. But these considerations renewed their first
superstitious impressions of our being the ghosts of the murderous
half-breeds.

Nevertheless, while during the latter part of the night we were
reclining beneath him, munching our biscuit, Samoa eyeing us
intently, was half a mind to open fire upon us by way of testing our
corporeality. But most luckily, he concluded to defer so doing till
sunlight; if by that time we should not have evaporated.

For dame Annatoo, almost from our first boarding the brigantine,
something in our manner had bred in her a lurking doubt as to the
genuineness of our atmospheric organization; and abandoned to her
speculations when Samoa fled from her side, her incredulity waxed
stronger and stronger. Whence we came she knew not; enough, that we
seemed bent upon pillaging her own precious purloinings. Alas!
thought she, my buttons, my nails, my tappa, my dollars, my beads,
and my boxes!

Wrought up to desperation by these dismal forebodings, she at length
shook the ropes leading from her own perch to Samoa's; adopting this
method of arousing his attention to the heinousness of what
was in all probability going on in