Then he fell asleep again, until at about half-past seven in the morning a loud crash overhead awoke him with a start.
In a moment he was sitting up with every faculty on the alert.

Footsteps blundered about in the room above, and a large and rapidly widening patch of damp showed on the ceiling.

It was evident that the sleeper, in his haste to quench an abnormal thirst, had broken the water jug.
Mr.Wilks, shivering with dread, sprang to his feet and stood irresolute.
Judging by the noise, the captain was evidently in a fine temper, and Mr.
Smith's remarks about insanity occurred to him with redoubled interest.
Then he heard a hoarse shout, the latch of the bedroom door clicked, and the prisoner stumbled heavily downstairs and began to fumble at the handle of the door at the bottom.

Trembling with excitement Mr.Wilks dashed forward and turned the key, and then retreating to the street door prepared for instant flight.
He opened the door so suddenly that the man on the other side, with a sudden cry, fell on all fours into the room, and raising his face stared stupidly at the steward.

Mr.Wilks's hands dropped to his sides and his tongue refused its office, for in some strange fashion, quite in keeping with the lawless proceedings of the previous night, Captain Nugent had changed into a most excellent likeness of his own son.
[Illustration: "The man on the other side fell on all fours into the room."].