It was true, the unearthly yelling was carried out over the water, and very likely not a sound of it reached twenty yards inland; but it rattled our nerves, nevertheless.

The skin grew prickly all up and down my backbone, and the men on the chain-gang inside the hull began shouting to know what the matter was.
Will remembered then that he was captain for the day, and made virtue of necessity.
"In with you!" he ordered.

"Quick!" With a grin that was half-triumph, half-cunning, and wholly glad, Coutlass helped his companions over the bow, and had the civility to stand there with hand outstretched to help us in after him.

We sent him below with his friends, but he came up again and insisted on leaning his weight on the poles with which we began shoving off into deeper water.

It was hard work, for with her human cargo and several hundred gallons of water that had leaked through her gaping seams, the dhow was down several inches.