r Ben Twinch, both endeavouring to
pierce the veil which surrounded the supposed privateer.

"We may at any moment run through this mist, and we shall then, I hope,
see the chase again," observed Ben. "It won't do for a moment to shut
our eyes, for maybe we shall find her much closer than before."

"I fancy that I can even now see her, but my imagination may deceive
me," said Rayner. "Can that be her out there?"

"I can't see anything," said the boatswain, putting his hands on either
side of his eyes.

"What is that on the lee bow?" suddenly exclaimed Rayner.

Before the boatswain could turn his eyes in the direction the midshipman
was pointing, the latter added, "I must have been mistaken. It has
disappeared, for I can see nothing. Still I must go aft and report to
the commander what I saw, or fancied I saw."

"It could only have been fancy," remarked Captain Saltwell. "The
imagination is easily deceived in an atmosphere like this. We'll keep
on as we were standing."

Rayner accordingly went forward. He was not sorry at length to be
relieved, as he was growing weary from having had so long to keep a
strain on his eyes.

At last, awakened by the gruff voice of the boatswain turning up the
hands, he went on deck, and found that it was already daylight; but not
a sail was in sight, and it was pretty evident that the chase had
altered her course.

The commander, thinking it likely that she had kept to the westward,
steered in that direction.

The day wore on, but still no sail appeared, nor did it seem at all
likely that the chase would again be sighted. The ship was therefore
put about to rejoin the _Ione_.

Soon after noon the wind fell, and the _Lily_ lay motionless on the
glassy ocean; the sun shining forth with intense heat, making the pitch
in the seams of the deck bubble up, and every piece of metal feel as if
it had just come out of a furnace. The seamen sought every spot of
shade which the sails afforded, and made frequent visits to the
water-cask to quench their thirst.

A few hours thus passed by, when, away to the south-east, a few clouds
could be seen floating across the sky.

"The calm can only be partial, for there's wind out there," observed the
commander, pointing the clouds out to the first lieutenant. "I hope we
shall soon get it."

In this he was disappointed. The day went by; the ship still lay
motionless on the waste of waters. Another night came on. It was not
until th