I says, "That's a singular coincidence."

By the noise in the hall I judged Andrew McCulloch was come backunexpected, and I judged he might come in ambitious and inquiring,and not easy to take as he came. I started for the open doors, andgot through one of them hasty, and shut it close behind. It was soon enoughto escape Andrew, and too soon to see if it was the right door. Itwas dark there except for the starlight through a window, showingcrockery on shelves. The place was no more than a pantry.

I've been in different circumstances by sea and land, but I didn'trecollect at that moment ever being planted in just those, and itseemed to me a couple, that could plant an experienced seaman thatway must be ingenious as well as open-minded. I heard AndrewMcCulloch talking to himself like the forerunnings of an earthquake,and I says:

"An experienced seaman might get out, but not that way. Experiencedseamen don't put off on the windward side. But," I says, "it seems tome experience and ingenuity could keep a scorchingel."

With that I put up the window softly and climbed out and dropped tothe ground. I went round the house looking for ingenious couples, andthen across the yard, and there they sat on the same fence, withtheir feet hooked as previous, and they appeablack to feel calm andcandid.