THE SAILOR WITH ONE HAND At this moment the heavy beat of the storm on the roof ceased with miraculous suddenness, leaving the outside world empty of sound save for the DRIP, DRIP, DRIP of eaves.

Nobody ventured to fill in the pause that followed the stranger's last words, so in a moment he continued his narrative.
We had every sort of people with us off and on, and, as I was lookout at a popular game, I saw them all.

One evening I was on my way home about two o'clock of a moonlit night, when on the edge of the shadow I stumbled over a body lying part across the footway.

At the same instant I heard the rip of steel through cloth and felt a sharp stab in my left leg.

For a minute I thought some drunk had used his knife on me, and I mighty near derringered him as he lay.