to this,
upon Captain Staunton's assurance that their services would certainly
not be needed for at least some hours, Rex and Lance betook themselves,
accompanied by Bob and young Neville, the former of whom was to keep
watch alternately with the skipper.

The night now being so far advanced, Captain Staunton announced to the
occupants of the other boats his intention to wait for daylight before
making sail; and, the tired crews at once composing themselves to
slumber, silence soon fell upon the little fleet of boats which lay
there riding lightly over the majestic slowly-heaving swell of the
Pacific under the solemn starlight.

The hours of night passed peacefully away; and the watchers on board the
several boats at length saw the velvety darkness in the eastern quarter
paling before the approaching day. The stars, which but a short time
before had risen into view over the dark rim of the horizon, dwindled
into lustreless insignificance and finally disappeared; the sky grew
momentarily paler and bluer in tint, the light sweeping imperceptibly
higher and wider over the ethereal vault; then suddenly above the
eastern horizon appeared a faint delicate rosy flush, followed by a
brilliant golden pencilling of the lower edges of a few flecks of cloud
invisible before: long shafts of golden light sprang radiating upward
from a point below the horizon; and in another moment the upper edge of
a great golden disc rose into view, flooding the laughing waves with
shimmering radiance, and transforming in a moment the hitherto silent
and sombre scene into one of joyousness and life. Sea birds hovered
screaming high in the air, on the look-out for breakfast; flying-fish
sparkled like glittering gems out of the bosom of the heaving deep;
dolphins leaped and darted here and there; a school of porpoises rotated
lazily past, heading to the westward; and away upon the very verge of
the horizon a large school of whales appeared spouting and playing.

It was day again.

Bob at once, in accordance with his instructions, called Captain
Staunton, who had lain down an hour or two before to snatch a little
rest. The skipper, who had turned-in "all standing," that is to say,
without undressing, soon made his appearance; and, first glancing keenly
all round the horizon in the vain hope of discovering a sail, at once
hailed the other boats, ordering them to make sail and to proceed upon a
north-easterly course, extending themselves in line t