drifted down upon the
lugger the while.

"Have you been examining her long?" he demanded of the New Hampshire
man.

"Ever since she has seemed to stand still; which is now some twenty
minutes. She is dull, I suppose, for she has been several hours getting
along a league; and there is now air enough for such a craft to go three
knots to the hour. Her coming down upon us is easily accounted for,
there being a considerable current out of this river, as you may see by
the ripple at our own cut-water; but I find nothing to keep her from
going ahead at the same time. I set her by the light you see, here, in
the wake of the nearest mountain, at least a quarter of an hour since,
and she has not advanced five times her own length since."

"'Tis nothing but a Corsican coaster, after all, Etooell: I hardly think
the English would risk our canister again, for the pleasure of being
beaten off in another attempt to board!"

"They're a spiteful set, aboard the frigate; and the Lord only knows!
See, here is a good heavy night air, and that felucca is not a cable's
length from us; set her by the jib-stay, and judge for yourself how
slowly she goes ahead! _That_ it is which nonplusses _me!_"

Raoul did as the other desired, and after a short trial he found that
the coaster had no perceptible motion ahead, while it was certain she
was drifting down with the current directly athwart the lugger's hawse.
This satisfied him that she must have drags astern; a circumstance that
at once denoted a hostile intention. The enemy was probably on board
the felucca, in force; and it was incumbent on him to make immediate
preparations for defence.

Still, Raoul was reluctant to disturb his people. Like all firm and cool
men, he was averse to the parade of a false alarm; and it seemed so
improbable that the lesson of the morning was so soon forgotten, that he
could hardly persuade himself to believe his senses. Then the men had
been very hard at work throughout the day; and most of them were
sleeping the sleep of the weary. On the other hand, every minute brought
the coaster nearer, and increased the danger, should the enemy be really
in possession of her. Under all the circumstances, he determined, first,
to hail; knowing that his crew could be got up in a minute, and that
they slept with arms at their sides, under an apprehension that a boat
attack might possibly be attempted in the course of the night.

"Felucca, ahoy!" called out the captain