which, however, the lead
showed not to be the case. In the morning the chain-cable of the anchor
was found tossed by the force of the sand-laden seas right over the
deck, and arranged there with a certain regularity. To many of the crew
it seemed clear that other than natural causes must have been at work;
there were evidently "dead hands" upon the bank, and this was a warning.
Nils shook his head and said nothing.

All the morning they were enveloped in a thick sea fog that surrounded
them like a wall; but towards noon the sun began to appear like a sickly
gleam above them, and by dinner-time they were sailing under a clear
sky, and in a fresh green breezy sea, with sails on every side.

It was an exhilarating sight, and reminded Elizabeth of the days of her
childhood. She called Salve over to share her enjoyment of it.

Of all the vessels in sight, the handsomest, without comparison, was the
North Star, a Norwegian corvette, well known along the coast of Norway,
and which had often aroused Elizabeth's enthusiasm in earlier days. She
was crossing their course, and standing under full sail for the Channel.
Elizabeth recognised her at once, and exclaimed decisively--

"That is the North Star--isn't she a magnificent ship, Salve! See, they
are taking in the topsails; they look like a flock of birds up there on
the yard among those beautiful big sails. Did you ever see anything so
grand as her shape? and how majestically she ploughs through the sea!
When she has all her canvas spread like that, I could fancy Tordenskjold
himself on board of her in full chase."

Salve looked straight before him and didn't answer. He knew, what
Elizabeth had not the faintest suspicion of, that Lieutenant Beck was on
board the North Star, as third in command for that year's cruise in the
Mediterranean, whither she was now bound; and a host of unpleasant
associations were raised by Elizabeth's innocent admiration of her.

"It was the North Star," she continued, "that beat through the straits
of Gibraltar against the current when none of the others could." The
North Star had long ago taken the place of the Naiad as her heroine
ship, and she related the performance with a certain pride.

"How would you like to be in command of a ship like that, Salve?" she
asked, determined to wake him up and get an answer.

"It would be a very different thing from having such an old tub as the
Apollo under one--there's no disputing that," he replied bit