It was Angerstoff's watch on deck till midnight; and as I did not wish to have any communication with him, I remained below. At twelve o'clock Morvalden got up and relieved him, and he came down to the cabin, and soon after retired to his berth. Believing, from this arrangement, that they had no hostile intentions, I lay down in bed with composure, and fell asleep. It was not long before a noise overhead awakened me. I started up, and listened intently. The sound appeared to be that of two persons scuffling together, for a succession of irregular footsteps beat the deck, and I could hear violent blows given at intervals. I got out of my berth, and entered the cabin, where I found Marietta standing alone, with a lamp in her hand. "Do you hear that?" cried I.--"Hear what?" returned she; "I have had a dreadful dream--I am all trembling." "Is Angerstoff below?" demanded I.--"No--Yes, I mean," said Marietta. "Why do you ask that? He went up-stairs." "Your husband and he are fighting. We must part them instantly."--"How can that be?" answered Marietta; "Angerstoff is asleep." "Asleep! Didn't you say he went up-stairs?"--"I don't know," returned she; "I am hardly awake yet--Let us listen for a moment."
Everything was still for a few seconds; then a voice shrieked out, "Ah! that knife! you are murdering me! Draw it out! No help! Are you done? Now--now--now!" A heavy body fell suddenly along the deck, and some words were spoken in a faint tone, but the roaring of the sea prevented me from hearing what they were.
I rushed up the cabin stairs, and tried to push open the folding-doors at the head of them, but they resisted my utmost efforts. I knocked violently and repeatedly to no purpose. "Some one is killed," cried I. "The person who barred these doors on the outside is guilty."--"I know nothing of that," returned Marietta. "We can't be of any use now.--Come here again!--how dreadfully quiet it is. My God!--a drop of blood has fallen through the skylight.--What faces are yon looking down upon us?--But this lamp is going out.--We must be going through the water at a terrible rate--how it rushes past us!--I am getting dizzy.--Do you hear these bells ringing? and strange voices----"