" The end of it was, that I agreed
to do so, on the understanding that if I failed to come up of my own
accord within three hours, I was to be punctually called. Having settled
that, I left John in charge. But I called him to me once afterwards, to
ask him a question. I had been to look at the barometer, and had seen
the mercury still perfectly steady, and had come up the companion again
to take a last look about me--if I can use such a word in reference to
such darkness--when I thought that the waves, as the Golden Mary parted
them and shook them off, had a hollow sound in them; something that I
fancied was a rather unusual reverberation. I was standing by the
quarter-deck rail on the starboard side, when I called John aft to me,
and bade him listen. He did so with the greatest attention. Turning to
me he then said, "Rely upon it, Captain Ravender, you have been without
rest too long, and the novelty is only in the state of your sense of
hearing." I thought so too by that time, and I think so now, though I
can never know for absolute certain in this world, whether it was or not.
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