And at that I brushed by the sailors and the boy -LRB- who neither spoke nor moved -RRB- , and ran up the ladder on deck . The brig was sheering swiftly and giddily through a long , cresting swell . She was on the starboard tack , and on the left hand , under the arched foot of the foresail , I could see the sunset still quite bright . This , at such an hour of the night , surprised me greatly ; but I was too ignorant to draw the true conclusion -- that we were going north-about round Scotland , and were now on the high sea between the Orkney and Shetland Islands , having avoided the dangerous currents of the Pentland Firth . For my part , who had been so long shut in the dark and knew nothing of head-winds , I thought we might be half-way or more across the Atlantic . And indeed -LRB- beyond that I wondered a little at the lateness of the sunset light -RRB- I gave no heed to it , and pushed on across the decks , running between the seas , catching at ropes , and only saved from going overboard by one of the hands on deck , who had been always kind to me . The round-house , for which I was bound , and where I was now to sleep and serve , stood some six feet above the decks , and considering the size of the brig , was of good dimensions . Inside were a fixed table and bench , and two berths , one for the captain and the other for the two mates , turn and turn about . It was all fitted with lockers from top to bottom , so as to stow away the officers ' belongings and a part of the ship 's stores ; there was a second store-room underneath , which you entered by a hatchway in the middle of the deck ; indeed , all the best of the meat and drink and the whole of the powder were collected in this place ; and all the firearms , except the two pieces of brass ordnance , were set in a rack in the aftermost wall of the round-house . The most of the cutlasses were in another place . A small window with a shutter on each side , and a skylight in the roof , gave it light by day ; and after dark there was a lamp always burning . It was burning when I entered , not brightly , but enough to show Mr. Shuan sitting at the table , with the brandy bottle and a tin pannikin in front of him . He was a tall man , strongly made and very black ; and he stared before him on the table like one stupid . He took no notice of my coming in ; nor did he move when the captain followed and leant on the berth beside me , looking darkly at the mate . I stood in great fear of Hoseason , and had my reasons for it ; but something told me I need not be afraid of him just then ; and I whispered in his ear : `` How is he ? '' He shook his head like one that does not know and does not wish to think , and his face was very stern . Presently Mr. Riach came in . He gave the captain a glance that meant the boy was dead as plain as speaking , and took his place like the rest of us ; so that we all three stood without a word , staring down at Mr. Shuan , and Mr. Shuan -LRB- on his side -RRB- sat without a word , looking hard upon the table . All of a sudden he put out his hand to take the bottle ; and at that Mr. Riach started forward and caught it away from him , rather by surprise than violence , crying out , with an oath , that there had been too much of this work altogether , and that a judgment would fall upon the ship . And as he spoke -LRB- the weather sliding-doors standing open -RRB- he tossed the bottle into the sea .
Mr. XXXXX was on his feet in a trice ; he still looked dazed , but he meant murder , ay , and would have done it , for the second time that night , had not the captain stepped in between him and his victim .
Hoseason Islands Orkney Scotland Shuan fall head-winds left round-house store-room