And he skipped out of the forecastle . CHAPTER VIII THE ROUND-HOUSE One night , about eleven o'clock , a man of Mr. Riach 's watch -LRB- which was on deck -RRB- came below for his jacket ; and instantly there began to go a whisper about the forecastle that `` Shuan had done for him at last . '' There was no need of a name ; we all knew who was meant ; but we had scarce time to get the idea rightly in our heads , far less to speak of it , when the scuttle was again flung open , and Captain Hoseason came down the ladder . He looked sharply round the bunks in the tossing light of the lantern ; and then , walking straight up to me , he addressed me , to my surprise , in tones of kindness . `` My man , '' said he , `` we want ye to serve in the round-house . You and Ransome are to change berths . Run away aft with ye . '' Even as he spoke , two seamen appeared in the scuttle , carrying Ransome in their arms ; and the ship at that moment giving a great sheer into the sea , and the lantern swinging , the light fell direct on the boy 's face . It was as white as wax , and had a look upon it like a dreadful smile . The blood in me ran cold , and I drew in my breath as if I had been struck . `` Run away aft ; run away aft with ye ! '' cried Hoseason . 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 XXXXX .
Firth Riach Shuan VIII berths foresail head-winds hour lateness round-house