wind in her course, as well its giving her increased velocity by
bringing more canvass to draw than a square rig could do when close
hauled. But a shrewd observer would have been led to ask, what other
reason, save that of disguise, could have been the actuating motive in
thus giving to the "Sea Witch" a double character in her rig? For though
temporary and somewhat important advantage could at times be thus
gained, as we have seen, yet such an object alone would not have
warranted the increased outlay that was necessarily incurred, to say
nothing of the imperative necessity of a vessel's being very strongly
manned in order to enable her to thus change her entire aspect with any
ordinary degree of celerity, and as had just been accomplished.

CHAPTER II.

CAPTAIN WILL RATLIN.

THE watch below, after completing the work which had summoned them for
the time being on deck, tumbled helter-skelter down the fore hatch once
more, and left on the deck of the "Sea Witch" about a dozen able seamen
who formed the watch upon deck. A number of these were now gathered in a
knot on the forecastle, and while they were sitting cross-legged,
picking old rope, and preparing it in suitable form for caulking the
ship's seams, one of their number was spinning a yarn, the hero of which
was evidently him who now filled the post of commander on board their
vessel. The object of their remarks, meanwhile, stood once more quietly
leaning over the monkey-rail on the weather side of the quarter-deck,
quite unconscious that he was supplying a theme of entertainment to the
forecastle.

There was an absent expression in his handsome face, a look as though
his heart was far distant from the scene about him, and yet a habit of
watchful caution seemed ever and anon to recall his senses, and his
quick, keen glance would run over the craft from stem to stern with a
searching and comprehensive power that showed him master of his
profession, and worthy his trust. Trust?--what was the trust he held?
Surely, no legitimate commerce could warrant the outfit of such a vessel
as he controlled. A man-of-war could hardly have been more fully
equipped with means of offence and defence. Amidship, beneath that long
boat, was a long, heavy metalled gun that worked on a traverse, and
which could command nearly every point of the compass, while the ship
kept her course. Just inside the rise of the low quarter-deck--the cabin
being entered from the deck by the