ree of the 'ands of the
Daisy was sitting on the fo'c'sle smoking. "I've got plenty of company
to-night."

"Company won't save you," ses Joe. "For the last time, are you going to
give me that watch and chain, or not? Here's your fifteen bob."

"No," I ses; "even if I 'ad got it I shouldn't give it to you; and it's
no use giving' it to the ghost, because, being made of air, he 'asn't got
anywhere to put it."

"Very good," ses Joe, giving me a black look. "I've done all I can to
save you, but if you won't listen to sense, you won't. You'll see Sam
Bullet agin, and you'll not on'y lose the watch and chain but your life
as well."

"All right," I ses, "and thank you kindly, but I've got an assistant, as
it 'appens--a man wot wants to see a ghost."

"An' assistant?" ses Joe, staring.

"An old soldier," I ses. "A man wot likes trouble and danger. His idea
is to shoot the ghost and see wot 'appens."

"Shoot!" ses Joe. "Shoot a pore 'armless ghost. Does he want to be
'ung? Ain't it enough for a pore man to be drownded, but wot you must
try and shoot 'im arterwards? Why, you ought to be ashamed o' yourself.
Where's your 'art?"

"It won't be shot if it don't come on my wharf," I ses. "Though I don't
mind if it does when I've got somebody with me. I ain't afraid of
anything living, and I don't mind ghosts when there's two of us. Besides
which, the noise of the pistol 'll wake up 'arf the river."

"You take care you don't get woke up," ses Joe, 'ardly able to speak for
temper.

He went off stamping, and grinding 'is teeth, and at eight o'clock to the
minute, Ted Dennis turned up with 'is pistol and helped me take care of
the wharf. Happy as a skylark 'e was, and to see him 'iding behind a
barrel with his pistol ready, waiting for the ghost, a'most made me
forget the expense of it all.

It never came near us that night, and Ted was a bit disappointed next
morning as he took 'is ninepence and went off. Next night was the same,
and the next, and then Ted gave up hiding

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.