apeak, and
I shall be under sail in half an hour."

Captain Levee sailed at the time that he mentioned; I remained at anchor
till the next morning, and then once more was running down the Irish
Channel before a stiff breeze. I forgot to mention that while at Mr
Trevannion's I had looked at the address of the Catholic priest who had
announced to me my release from prison, and had left copies of it, as
well as of that of the lady at Paris, in the care of Mr Trevannion. It
was now cold, autumnal weather, and the Channel was but rough
sailing-ground. During the first fortnight we were fortunate enough to
make two recaptures of considerable value, which arrived safely in the
Thames, after which we had a succession of gales from the southward, it
being the time of the equinox, which drove us close to the sands of
Yarmouth, and we even had difficulty in clearing them and getting into
sea-room by standing to the eastward. The weather still continued very
bad, and we were lying-to under storm sails for several days, and at
last found ourselves a degree and a half to the northward, off the coast
of Norfolk, when the weather moderated, and the wind changed to the
northward. It was a fine clear night, but with no moon, and we were
running before the wind to regain our cruising-ground; but the wind
again shifted and baffled us, and at last it fell light, and, being on a
wind, we did not make more than four miles an hour, although there was
very little sea. About one o'clock in the morning I had gone on deck,
and was walking to and fro with the first officer, Mr James, when I
thought that I heard a faint halloo from to windward.

"Stop," said I; "silence there forward."

I listened, and thought that I heard the cry again. "Mr James," said
I, "did you not hear some one shout?"

"No, Sir," replied he.

"Wait, then, and listen."

We did so, but I could not hear it repeated.

"I am certain that I heard a voice as if on the waters," said I.
"Perhaps some one has fallen overboard. Turn the hands up to muster,
and haul the fore-sheet to windward."

The men were mustered, but no one was missing.

"It was your fancy, Sir," observed the first officer.

"It may have been," replied I; "but I am still in my own mind persuaded
that such was the case. Perhaps I was mistaken."

"Shall we let draw the fore-sheet, Sir?" said Mr James.

"Yes, we may as well; but the wind is lighter than it was. I think we
shall have a calm."