American coast. Smoothly as
she glided on, and rapidly as she ran through the water, in all the
pride of symmetrical beauty, she was in a very critical position. As I
looked at her I bethought me she presented no inapt simile to a careless
youth rushing over the sea of life regardless of all the dangers which
surround him, and with the pit of destruction yawning before him. Haul
her wind and fight us she dared not, for we should have blown her
speedily out of the water; no friendly port that she could possibly make
was under her lee. The only hope, therefore, her crew could have had of
escaping was to run the ship on shore and to abandon her. This it was
our object to prevent them doing. The usual devices for increasing our
speed were resorted to. Every spar that could carry a sail was rigged,
while the canvas almost swept the water on either side of us, but all to
little purpose, it seemed. If we increased our speed, so did the chase,
and not an inch was gained. As the day grew on, the breeze freshened,
and at noon some on board asserted that we had begun to overhaul her.
We were all of us on deck as often as we could, for she afforded far
more subject of interest than the ordinary lumber-laden merchant craft
it was our usual lot to chase. The clouds which had obscured the sky at
sunrise rolled gradually away; the sun shone down on the blue ocean with
undimmed splendour, glittering on the long lines of foam which the two
ships formed as they clove their way through it.

I was, among others, watching the chase when McCallum came up to me.

"Sumner wants to see you, Hurry," said he; "I think a little talk with
you will do him good. He is very low, left so many hours by himself,
and he does not sleep much."

Our young messmate had been progressing favourably, according to the
doctor's report, since he was wounded, but he was nervous and fanciful,
poor little fellow! and wanted more tender nursing than the rough,
albeit kind-hearted, treatment he could obtain on board. Captain Hudson
would gladly have landed him, could he have found any friends on shore
willing to take charge of him; but as this was impossible, all
circumstances would allow was done to make him comfortable. I sat
myself down on a stool by the side of his cot, and told him all that was
going forward on deck.

"I wish that I could be about and doing my duty again," said he; "I'm
weary of being boxed up here below."

"I should be glad if yo