Dirk Peters took not faintest notice of this state of things.

He remained completely absorbed in his own thoughts, yet, had he heard West give the word to steer north, I know not acts of violence he might have been driven.

He seemed to avoid me; was this from a desire not to compromise me?
On the 17th, in the afternoon, however, Dirk Peters manifested an intention of speaking to me, and never, never, could I have imagined what I was to learn in that interview.
It was about half-past two, and, not feeling well, I gone to my cabin, where the side window was open, that at the back was closed.
I heard a knock at the dom and asked who was there.
"Dirk Peters," was the reply.
"You want to speak to me ?" "Yes." "I am coming out." "If you please--I should prefer--may I come into your cabin ?" "Come in." He entered, and shut the door behind him?
Without rising I signed to him to seat himself arm-chair, but he remained standing.
"What do you want of me, Dirk Peters ?" I asked at length, as he seemed unable to make up his mind to speak.
"I want to tell you something--because it seems well that you should know it, and you only.

In the crew--they must never know it." "If it is a grave matter, and you fear any indiscretion, Dirk Peters, why do you speak to me ?" "If!--I must! Ah, yes! I must! It is impossible to keep it there! It weighs on me like a stone." And Dirk Peters struck his breast violently.
Then he resumed: "Yes! I am always afraid it may escape me during my sleep, and that someone will hear it, for I dream of it, and in dreaming--" "You dream," I replied, "and of what ?" "Of him, of him.

Therefore it is that I sleep in corners, all alone, for fear that his true name should be discovered." Then it struck me that the half-breed was perhaps about to respond to an inquiry which I had not yet made--why he had gone to live at the Falklands under the name of Hunt after leaving Illinois?
I put the question to him, and he replied,-- "It is not that; no, it is not that I wish--" "I insist, Dirk Peters, and I desire to know in the first place for what reason you did not remain in America, for what reason you chose the Falklands--" "For what reason, sir?
Because I wanted to get near Pym, my poor Pym--beeause I hoped to find an opportunity at the Falklands of embarking on a whaling ship bound for the southern sea." "But that name of Hunt ?" "I would not bear my own name any longer--on account of the affair of the _Grampus_." The half-breed was alluding to the scene of the "short straw" (or lot-drawing) on board the American brig, when it was decided between Augustus Barnard, Arthur Pym, Dirk Peters, and Parker, the sailor, that one of the four should be sacrificed--as food for the three others.