ad; and in another moment he was dancing
nimbly up the fore-rigging; his form just dimly discernible in the dark
shadow of the sails.

Presently he hailed from the cross-trees, "I can't _see_ nothing, sir;
but the sky away over there looks uncommon bright, and it seems to
_flicker_ now and then, as if there was a big fire burning under it."

"That'll do; you can come down again," answered the chief mate. Then,
turning to George, he said--

"Depend upon it, sir, there's a ship afire away over there. Well, we're
steering a course as'll take us pretty close to her, if so be as there
_is_ one; and I suppose, sir, you'll feel like giving of her a overhaul,
won't you?"

"Most certainly," answered George earnestly. "We will at least
ascertain whether there are any human beings on board her. Mr
Ritson,"--to the carpenter, who since Cross's impressment had acted in
the capacity of second mate--"steer your present course, please, as long
as the wind will allow you; crack on all you can; and, as soon as the
burning ship--or whatever it is--is fairly in sight, give me a call."

He then descended to his cabin, and in another five minutes had fallen
into a state of blissful oblivion.

At eight bells (or four o'clock a.m.) Ritson knocked at George's
state-room door, after calling the chief mate, and said--

"We can see the flames and smoke from the deck, sir, though the ship
herself is still hull-down. I've been up in the fore-top, howsoever,
with the glass, and make her out to be a large ship--close upon a
thousand tons, I should say--but I can't see any people on board of her,
nor I can't make out no sign of boats. She's all ablaze from for'ard
right aft as far as the main-mast, which toppled over and fell for'ard
while I was lookin' at her. I fancy the people must ha' left her, sir."

"All right, Ritson," answered George, "I'll be on deck in a minute or
two."

Within the stipulated time Captain Leicester made his appearance on
deck, and proceeded at once to the fore-top, where, with the aid of his
glass, he made a careful inspection of the burning ship.

"Well, Mr Bowen," he said, when he had completed his examination, and
was once more down on deck, "it is as Ritson says: there is no sign of
any human being on board her; I have looked long and carefully at her,
and am quite sure I should have seen the people moving about, had there
been any. We will stand on as we are going, however, and cross her
stern; we sha