approached him and said--

"Unless I am greatly mistaken, sir, here's a large craft without any
lights creeping up on our larboard quarter."

"Indeed," said George, rousing himself and stepping aft to the taffrail
with the carpenter; "whereabouts is she?"

The carpenter looked intently astern for a moment, then stretched out
his arm, saying--

"There, sir--ah! now you can see her, she is just about to shut out the
first of those four lights that you can see all close together. There!
now she has shut it out."

"I see her!" said George. "Whatever does the fellow mean by being
without lights on such a pitch-dark night as this; it would serve him
right to report him to the commodore in the morning. He has a smart
vessel under his feet, though; see how she is overhauling us. Why, it
must surely be one of the gun-brigs, judging from her spread of canvas
and her lofty spars. But what can she be doing here, in the very middle
of the fleet, and without lights, too?"

The stranger was by this time little more than a couple of cables'
lengths from the _Aurora_, drawing up to her fast, and apparently
intending to pass her very closely. George glanced anxiously at his
stern light, thinking it might possibly have gone out, but no, it was
burning brightly and must be distinctly visible to those on board the
other craft.

Gradually the dark, mysterious fabric drew closer and still closer up on
the port quarter of the _Aurora_, not the faintest glimmer of light
being visible from stem to stern, and not a sound of any kind to be
heard on board her.

George began to feel a trifle nervous as he watched the silent, stealthy
approach of the stranger; and fetching his speaking-trumpet from the
beckets in the companion-way, where it always hung in company with the
telescope, he stepped aft to the taffrail and hailed--

"Ship ahoy!"

"Hillo!" was the response, in a tone of voice pitched so low that,
though it was distinctly audible to those on board the _Aurora_, it
would not penetrate the sluggish atmosphere to any great distance.

"What ship is that?" inquired George.

"His Britannic Majesty's brig--" (name unintelligible). "What ship is
that?"

"The _Aurora_, of London. Why are you out of your station, and without
lights, sir? Is there anything wrong?"

"Yes," was the reply, "but don't hail any more; there are enemies at
hand. I will sheer alongside you presently, and tell you what to do."

"Enemies at hand, eh