rity of this now
struck me for the first time, but it carried no particular significance
to my mind beyond the suggestion that possibly she might, after all, be
homeward instead of outward bound. But as I stood scanning her through
the lenses it gradually dawned upon me that her people seemed to be
extraordinarily busy, for I could detect indications that quite a large
number of men were actively moving about her decks; and presently, to my
astonishment, I noticed that she had a tackle at her mainyard-arm; and
while I was still wondering what this might be for, I saw a large case
rise slowly above the level of her bulwark and then vanish again,
apparently over her rail.

Then, in a second, illumination came to me and I understood everything.
There was a craft of some sort alongside her, completely hidden from our
view by her hull and canvas, braced as sharp up as possible, and
undoubtedly there were boats in the water on the other side of her,
employed to keep her broadside-on to us and thus keep the other craft
hidden from us; moreover, certain portions of her cargo were being
hoisted out and transferred to the hidden vessel. The inference was
obvious: the hidden craft was a pirate which had somehow managed to
sneak up alongside and surprise her in the pitchy darkness of the early
hours of the morning--Henderson had actually caught a glimpse of the
very act of capture--and now she was being plundered by the audacious
scoundrels under our very eyes.

I laid down the glass and looked sharply round the horizon. The
atmosphere was distinctly thickening, to such an extent, indeed, that
the sun was now almost blotted out, and there was a greasy look about
the sky that seemed to portend bad weather. The sea was still
glass-smooth, not the faintest suggestion of a catspaw to be seen in any
direction; but there was a certain gloomy, lowering appearance over the
western horizon that appeared to promise a breeze before long. It might
be hours, however, before it came, and we could not wait for it; for
robbery, and very possibly violence, ay, even cold-blooded murder, was
being perpetrated at that moment, and speedy intervention was
imperative. I felt horribly vexed that we should all have allowed
ourselves to be hoodwinked so completely; for although the device was
undoubtedly quite clever, the conviction would insist upon forcing
itself upon me that I had attached altogether too little importance to
the gunner's story of