its of nonsense, but as I was
saying--"

"What, don't you?" I asked, interrupting him; "I thought all sailors
believed in those tales."

The captain had been narrating some of them to us a few evenings before.

"No, I do not," answered the first mate, somewhat sharply. "I believe
that God made this water beneath our feet, and that He sends the wind
which sometimes covers it over with sparkling ripples, and at others
stirs it up into foaming seas, but I don't think He lets spirits or
ghosts of any sort wander about doing no good to any one. That's my
philosophy. I don't intend to belief in the stuff till I see one of the
gentlemen; and then I shall look pretty sharply into his character
before I take my hat off to him."

"You are right, Mr Randolph, and I do not suppose that the captain
differs much from you. He only wishes to guard against mortal enemies,
and he has shown that he is in earnest in thinking that there is some
danger, by having come on deck every half-hour or oftener during the
night. There he is again."

Captain Hassall stood before us: "Cast loose and load the guns, Mr
Randolph, and send a quartermaster to serve out the small arms to the
watch," he said quietly; "there has been a sail on our quarter for some
minutes past, which may possibly be one of the convoy, but she may not.
Though she carries but little canvas she is creeping up to us."

The mate and I while talking had not observed the vessel the captain
pointed out. "The skipper has sharp eyes," said the first mate, as he
parted from me to obey the orders he had received. Our crew had been
frequently exercised at the guns. Having loaded and run them out, the
watch came tumbling aft to the arm-chest. Cutlasses were buckled on and
pistols quickly loaded, and boarding-pikes placed along the bulwarks
ready for use. The men did not exactly understand what all this
preparation was for, but that was nothing to them. It signified
fighting, and most British seamen are ready for that at any time. The
captain now joined me in my walk. "It is better to be prepared, though
nothing come of it, than to be taken unawares," he observed. "It is the
principle I have gone on, and as it is a sound one, I intend to continue
it as long as I live." I agreed with him. We walked the deck together
for twenty minutes or more, engaged in conversation. His eye was
constantly during the time looking over our starboard quarter. Even I
could at length di