hey might not meet with enemies so easily
deceived."

"No, sir," answered Peter, "certainly not; and, for my part, I would
much rather have beat off the scoundrels in a fair stand-up fight than
with such a play-acting trick as that; but then, you see, air, it was
Hobson's choice--neck or nothing with us!"

Peter's curious contrivances were kept, that they might be shown as an
evidence of the way in which we had escaped from the rover. The
appearance of Walter Stenning on board the rover was a subject of
constant conversation among us. There could be no doubt, then, that he
had been carried on board the rover, and that his life had been
preserved. This would be a satisfaction to his friends, though a
melancholy one, as his ultimate fate must still be uncertain.

We had still a long passage before us to Halifax, and might meet with
many adventures. At all events, we could scarcely expect to escape some
bad weather, though it was not likely we should encounter the rover, or
any of her consorts, as gentry of that class were not fond of venturing
into northern latitudes. For more than a couple of weeks the fine
weather continued, and we met with no event worthy of note. We had,
however, to learn somewhat more of the sufferings which people meet with
on the wide ocean.

One morning the sky became overcast; the water was of that dull leaden
hue, striped with white foam, which gives so gloomy an aspect to the
ocean; and heavy squalls compelled us to shorten sail as fast as all
hands could get through the task. For the greater part of the day the
squalls continued; but in the afternoon, though it was hazy, the weather
again improved.

I was looking out, when I saw through the mist what I took to be a sail.
There was something strange about her rig--I could not make it out.
Accordingly, I reported it to the captain, who came on deck. He called
Peter to him.

"She looks to me like a vessel in distress, with most of her spars and
upper-rigging carried away," he observed. She was about six miles off,
on the lee-bow. Accordingly, the brig was kept away towards her.

Heavy squalls of rain occasionally blew over us, and for a time
completely hid the wreck from view. When it cleared for an instant, we
made out that she had an English ensign reversed secured to the
main-rigging. Her mainmast alone was standing entire, her foremast had
gone by the board, her mizzen-mast was carried away at the top, and part
only of he