ght across her bows, and within hail of her, and yet
no man had shown himself. Bertric and I lifted our voices together
in a great hail, and then in a second, and third, but there was no
answer. Only she yawed and swung away from us as if she would pass
us, and at that Dalfin cried out, while I paid off fast to follow
her, and again Bertric hailed. Now she was broad off our bows and
to the starboard, an arrow flight from us, and Bertric and I were
staring at her in amazement. She was the most wonderfully appointed
ship in all sea bravery we had ever seen--but there was no man at
the helm, and not a soul on deck.

"They are asleep, or dead," said I; and hailed again and again, all
the while edging down to her, until we were running on the same
course, side by side.

"We must overhaul her somehow," said Bertric, "or we are left. This
is an uncanny affair."

The height of her great square sail told, and little by little she
drew ahead of us. We felt the want of the oars more at this time
than any, and I think that with them we might have overhauled her
at once. Had she been steered, of course she would have left us
astern without hope; but as we chased her now, the unsteady flaws
of the rising breeze, which we could make full use of, rather
hindered her. Now and again, with some little shift, her sail
flapped and she lost her way, and yawed so that we gained on her
fast, while a new hope of success sprang up in our minds. Then the
sail would fill again, and she was away from us.

Once, as the breeze veered a point or two, I thought she must have
jibed, for the clew of the sail almost swung inboard; but it filled
again.

"She cannot jibe," said Bertric. "See, her yard is braced square
for running, and cannot shift. If all holds, she must run till
doomsday thus. Her mast may go in a squall, or one of the braces
may part--but I don't see what else is to stop her."

But the wind was light, and hardly strained the new rigging, while
there was a stout running backstay set up with all care, and even
the main halliard had been led far aft to serve as another. She was
meant to run while she might, and that silent and lonely ship,
passing us on an endless voyage into the great westward ocean, was
as strange and uncanny a sight as a seaman could meet in a long
life. Moreover, though she was in full war trim, she seemed to have
some deck cargo piled amidships, which might be plunder.

So for an hour or more that chase went o