is overpowering. What if this should last? what
a fate! The Rime of the Ancient Mariner comes to our mind. Come storm
and tempest, come hurricanes and blizzards, anything but an endless
stagnation. For some hours we watched earnestly the horizon to the
westward, looking for the first dark break on the smooth sea. Not a
cloud was in the heavens. The brig appeared to be leaving us either by
towing or by sweeps; only her topgallant sail was above the horizon. It
looked as if the sea breeze would desert us. It usually came in about
one o'clock, but that hour and another had passed and yet we watched
for the first change. Without a breeze our chances of overhauling the
stranger were gone. Only a white speck like the wing of a gull now
marked her whereabouts on the edge of the horizon, and in another hour
she would be invisible even from the masthead.

When we were about to despair, our head Krooman drew the captain's
attention to the westward and said the breeze was coming. We saw no
signs of it, but his quick eye had noticed light feathery clouds rising
to the westward, a sure indication of the coming breeze. Soon we could
see the glassy surface ruffled at different points as the breeze danced
over it, coming on like an advancing line of skirmishers; and as we felt
its first gentle movement on our parched faces, it was welcome indeed,
putting new life into all of us. The crew needed no encouragement to
spring to their work. As the little brig felt the breeze and gathered
steerageway, she was headed for the chase, bringing the wind on her
starboard quarter. In less than five minutes all the studding sails that
would draw were set, as well as everything that would pull. The best
quartermaster was sent to the wheel, with orders to keep the chase
directly over the weather end of the spritsail yard. The captain ordered
the sails wet, an expedient I never had much faith in, unless the sails
are very old. But as if to recompense us for the delay, the breeze came
in strong and steady. Our one hope now was to follow it up close, and to
carry it within gunshot of the brig, for if she caught it before we
were within range she would certainly escape. All hands were piped to
quarters, and the long eighteen-pounder on the forecastle was loaded
with a full service charge; on this piece we relied to cripple the
chase. We were now rapidly raising her, and I was sent aloft on the fore
topsail yard, with a good glass to watch her movements. H