rth.

"By de great gorramity!" muttered Snowball, "a doan't b'lieb one ob
dem's leff 'board dat boat, 'ceptin de ole 'kipper himseff; an ob him
dar am nuffin leff cep'n de body. Dat man's intlek am clar gone. He am
ravin' mad!"

"You're right, Snowy," assented the sailor; "there be ne'er a one there
but himself. At all events they ain't all there. I can tell by the way
the gig sits up out o' the water. No boat o' her size, wi' six men
aboard, could have her gunnel as high as that ere. No! If there be any
besides the captain, there's only one or two. We needn't fear to go as
nigh as we like. Let's put about, an' board the craft, anyhow. What
say ye?"

"Haben't de leas' objecshun, Massa Brace, so long you link dar no fear.
Dis chile ready take de chance. If dar be any odder cep'n de 'kipper,
it no like dey am 'trong 'nuff to bully we nohow. De two ob us be equal
match fo' any four ob dem,--say nuffin ob lilly Will'm."

"I feel a'most sartin," rejoined the sailor, still undecided, "there be
only him. If that's the case, our best way is to close up, and take
possession o' the boat. We may have some trouble wi' him if be's gone
mad; an' from the way he be runnin' on, it do look like it. Never mind!
I dare say we'll be able to manage him. Port about, an' let a see the
thing through."

Snowball was at the steering-oar, and, thus commanded by her captain, he
once more headed the _Catamaran_ in the direction of the drifting
boat,--while the sailor and William betook them to the oars.

Whether the occupant of the gig had yet perceived the raft was not
certain. It is likely he had not, since the yells and incoherent
speeches to which he had been giving utterance appeared to be addressed
to no one, but were more like--what they believed them to be--the wild
ravings of a lunatic.

It was still only the grey twilight of morning, with a slight fog upon
the water; and although through this the Catamarans had recognised the
gig and captain of the _Pandora_ they had done so with certain souvenirs
to guide them. Both the boat and its occupant had been seen only
indistinctly: and it was possible that the latter had not seen them, and
was still unsuspicious of their presence.

As they drew nearer, the light at each moment increasing in brightness,
there was no longer any uncertainty as to their being seen; for, along
with the yells uttered by the occupant of the gig, could be heard the
significant speeches of, "S