a line of yet brighter lights composed of thousands of whirling
eddies, which grew smaller and smaller, and less distinct, till lost in
the distance. After watching the sea for some time, as Ada looked up at
the rigging, and at the masts and wide-spread sails above her head, they
no longer looked as in the day-time, like white wings extended to urge
on the vessel in her course; but, increased to many times their former
size, they seemed like a black pyramid to tower upwards to the sky till
lost in the distance.

Ada was not long permitted to enjoy this, to her, unusual scene, before
her uncle again summoned her below; and this time she was obliged to
obey. He, however, had given strict orders to be called should anything
occur.

The wind, as the night drew on, grew considerably lighter, and this gave
a decided advantage to the speronara, which rapidly came up abeam.
Neither Bowse nor his mates had turned in, and even the crew remained on
deck, watching the stranger with jealous eyes. It appeared, as they
watched her, that she was steering a course a point more to windward
than they were, for, as she came up, her distance from them was far
greater than they had expected, and it was soon evident that she had no
intention of boarding them. Bowse breathed more freely, and looked at
the studding-sails. He knew that all hands were weary as he was
himself.

"Take in the studding-sails, Timmins, and furl top-gallant sails. The
_Zodiac_ can walk along fast enough without them, and we must not have
the people roused out again, if we can help it."

The order was obeyed with alacrity, and the brig was soon brought under
the snug canvas she usually carried at night.

"I told ye, Bill, there was no manner nor use setting them studsails nor
to'gallant sails neither," said Jem Marlin, as, his watch on deck being
over, he turned into his hammock at midnight. "Lord bless ye, nothing
could have made us run away from her if we'd tried ever so much. But to
my mind, it's having that young lady aboard kept him off. Depend on't
there's nothing like having a beautiful, virtuous young woman on your
side, to keep Davy Jones and all his devils at long range. The fact is,
they're afraid of her, she's so different to theirselves. While we,
Bill, you knows, is sarcumstantially too much--"

What Jem might have said further, I know not, for his head touched the
end of his hammock, and he was fast asleep.

The grey light of the early