ye, as it roved from object to object in the
equipment of the vessel; and at moments, as his look appeared fastened on
some one of the light fleecy clouds that floated in the blue vacuum above
him, there gathered about his brow a gloom like that which is thought to
be the shadowing of intense thought. Indeed, so dark and threatening did
this lowering of the eye become, at times, that the fair hair which broke
out in ringlets from beneath a black velvet sea-cap, from whose top
depended a tassel of gold, could no longer impart to his countenance the
gentleness which it sometimes was seen to express. As though he disdained
concealment, and wished to announce the nature of the power he wielded,
he wore his pistols openly in a leathern belt, that was made to cross a
frock of blue, delicately edged with gold, and through which he had
thrust, with the same disregard of concealment, a light and curved Turkish
yattagan, with a straight stiletto, which, by the chasings of its handle,
had probably originally come from the manufactory of some Italian artisan.

On the deck of the poop, overlooking the rest and retired from the crowd
beneath them, stood Mrs Wyllys and her charge, neither of whom announced
in the slightest degree, by eye or air, that anxiety which might readily
be supposed natural to females who found themselves in a condition so
critical as in the company of lawless freebooters. On the contrary, while
the former pointed out to the latter the hillock of pale blue which rose
from the water, like a dark and strongly defined cloud in the distance,
hope was strongly blended with the ordinarily placid expression of her
features. She also called to Wilder, in a cheerful voice; and the youth,
who had long been standing, with a sort of jealous watchfulness, at the
foot of the ladder which led from the quarter-deck, was at her side in an
instant.

"I am telling Gertrude," said the governess, with those tones of
confidence which had been created by the dangers they had incurred
together, "that yonder is her home, and that, when the breeze shall be
felt, we may speedily hope to reach it; but the wilfully timid girl
insists that she cannot believe her senses, after the frightful risks we
have run, until, at least, she shall see the dwelling of her childhood,
and the face of her father. You have often been on this coast before, Mr
Wilder?"

"Often, Madam."

"Then, you can tell us what is the distant land we see."

"Land!" rep