"

Another look they all took before the sun sank below the horizon
confirmed them in this opinion. The last few hours of daylight were
spent by the crew in examining their pistols, in seeing that their
cutlasses were ready at hand, and everything prepared for boarding at a
moment's notice. All hands then turned to and had a good supper, after
which, as they said, they were up to anything.

The boat floated quietly on the almost calm waters, for though the men
lay on their oars, they did not pull a stroke. Not a word was spoken
above the lowest whisper. There were sounds, for the ocean itself is
never, even in a calm, altogether silent. Ever and anon there was a
splash, sometimes caused by the boat as the smooth undulations rose up
as it seemed from the depths below, and made her roll lazily for an
instant from side to side, or some fish rose to the surface with
wide-open mouths, or leaped up into the air, or one of the monsters of
the unfathomed waters came to have a gaze at the strange thing which
floated over their liquid home. A slight mist came over the land with
the night air, damp and unwholesome enough, but Jack and Terence little
regarded that point, as it contributed much to conceal the boat from the
approaching stranger, though they had little doubt that her more lofty
sails would easily be seen above it. Time passed on. They calculated
that the schooner must be drawing near them.

Once more Jack stood up. "There she is," he whispered, as he sank into
his seat. "Away to the northward. Out oars, lads, as gently as
possible. In ten minutes we shall be alongside of her." The oars had
been muffled, and with the long, steady strokes made by the men,
scarcely a splash was heard. They might well hope to be up to the
stranger without being discovered. On glided the boat. It was an
exciting moment. The sails of a large topsail schooner rose up out of
the mist before them.

Jack and Adair thought they saw a little beyond her the pointed tops of
another craft slowly moving over the bank of fog. If they should both
prove enemies there would be fearful odds against them. They numbered
only eleven people in all--eight pulling, Needham, and themselves.
Still they did not hesitate.

"We'll take one, and then be ready for the other," whispered Jack.

Adair nodded his assent. Still discretion might have been the best part
of valour in this case.

"That further craft is a felucca," again whispered Ja