I knew it was not a rat this time, and I thought it might be a centipede, because the Captain had killed one on deck in the afternoon.

I turned out.

The first glance at the pillow showed me repulsive sentinel perched upon each end of it--cockroaches as large as peach leaves--fellows with long, quivering antennae and fiery, malignant eyes.

They were grating their teeth like tobacco worms, and appeared to be dissatisfied about something.

I had often heard that these reptiles were in the habit of eating off sleeping sailors' toe nails down to the quick, and I would not get in the bunk any more.