shed along her
bulwarks, and amidship there was something covered with a tarpaulin,
which might be a heavier gun than the rest. We stood on till her
broadside was brought to bear on our counter. At that moment, up sprung
from each hatchway some sixty as ugly-looking cut-throats as I ever wish
to see; and they were busily engaged in rapidly casting loose their
guns; and we were on the point of firing, when, who should we see on
their deck, but the old man who had been our passenger! He instantly
recognised Captain Helfrich, who was standing near the taffrail, and
making a sign to the crew of the felucca, they dived below as quickly as
they had appeared. He took off his three-cornered hat and waved it to
our captain, who waved his in return; and then he made a sign that he
would come on board us.

Instantly the captain ordered the sails to be clewed up. Had the old
gentleman been an admiral, he could not have been obeyed more promptly.
A boat shoved off from the felucca with four hands in her, and he came
on board us. The big negro was not with him, nor did I see him on the
deck of the felucca. The captain and the stranger were closeted
together for a quarter of an hour or more; and the latter then coming on
deck, bowed, with somewhat mock politeness to the passengers, who were
assembled staring at him, and stepped into his boat.

No sooner had he gone, than we again made sail. The felucca lay hove-to
some little time. She then wore round, and stood after us. So rapidly
did she come up with us, that it was very clear we had not the slightest
chance of getting away from her, however much we might wish to do so.
She kept us company all the day, and at night, in the first watch, I
could see her shadowy form gliding over the sea astern of us.

Peter and I talked the matter over together in a whisper. "I'll tell
you what I think is something like the truth," said he. "To my mind
it's this:--When the captain was a young man out in these parts, he fell
in with that old gentleman,--who isn't so old though as he pretends to
be. Well, the captain went and did something to put himself in his
power; and that's the reason the captain is so afraid of him. And then,
from what I see, I suspect that the captain saved him from drowning, or
maybe from hanging; or in some way or other preserved his life; and that
makes him grateful, and ready to do the captain a good turn; or, at all
events, prevents him from doing him a bad