fed topsails and
courses; stretching away to the northward and westward on the port tack.
She continued on this tack all day; and went about at the end of the
second dog-watch, George's object being to work his way back to the
spot, as nearly as possible, where the fleet had separated, and there
wait two or three days if need be, in the hope of falling in with the
bulk of them again.

Captain Leicester had of course taken full advantage of the return of
fine weather to repair damages; the crew had been busy during the whole
day getting two new topgallant-masts aloft and rigging them, bending new
sails in place of those split or blown away, and so on; the _Aurora_ was
consequently, when night fell, all ataunto once more; and a stranger
looking at her, would, except for the _new_ look of some of the spars
and canvas, never have suspected that she had had her wings clipped.

At nightfall she was standing to the southward and westward on the port
tack, under every stitch of canvas that would draw; the wind was failing
fast; the sea had long since ceased to break; there was now only an
occasional white fleecy comb to be seen on the crests of the waves; and
the ship was gliding gently along, with a slow, steady, rhythmical
rising-and-falling motion over the long heavy swell, at the rate of some
five knots in the hour. The skipper was in excellent spirits at having
escaped so well and so cheaply from the fury of the hurricane; and he
remained on deck until midnight, chatting with Mr Bowen, the chief
mate.

The relief-watch had just been called, and George was waiting to
accompany the mate below when his attention was suddenly attracted by a
curious appearance in the sky to windward. It was still cloudy; and,
low down on the horizon and about two points on the weather bow, he
noticed that the clouds were lighter and brighter in tint than anywhere
else.

"Look, Bowen," he exclaimed, "do you see that peculiar-looking cloud
away there on the horizon, just over our cat-head? What is the meaning
of it?"

The mate looked in the direction indicated; and his more mature
experience at once suggested an explanation.

"Looks to me," he said, "as if there was something afire over there.
Here, you Tom," to a lad belonging to the relief-watch, who had just
come on deck, "slip up as far as the fore-topmast cross-trees, and see
if you can see anything out of the common away there on the weather
bow."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the l