After that, I began to look regularly, studying the sky from
the first week of December on to Christmas: and 'twasn't long before
I felt certain. 'Tis a star--they call it Regulus in the books, for
I've looked it out--that gets up in the south-east in December month:
pretty low, and yet full high enough to stand over a cottage; one o'
the brightest too, and easily known, for it carries five other stars
set like a reap-hook just above it.
"Well, I looked to the south-east, and there my star stood blazin',
just over the dark o' the land, with its reap-hook over its forehead.
'The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light . . .'
"While I stood staring at it, thinkin' my thoughts, there came a
noise all of a sudden from the other lugger, as if someone had kicked
over a table down below, and upset half a dozen pots and pans.
Then, almost before I had time to wonder, I heard Dog Mitchell
scramble forth on deck, find his feet in a scrufflin' way, and start
travisin' forth and back, forth and back, talkin' to himself all the
while and cursin'. He was fairly chewin' curses. I guessed what was
the matter. He had been down below toppin' things up with a last
soak of neat whisky, and now he had the shakes on him, or the
beginnings of 'em.
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