myself had remained on deck, diligently working away with
his glass, and utterly deaf to the more than once repeated statement of
the steward that the dinner was on the cabin table--turned quickly to me
and said--

"Do you see that greenish-looking star just glimmering through the
clouds right over our jib-boom end? Here, stand exactly where I am, and
when she pitches you will see it showing about ten degrees above the
horizon. There! do you see the star I mean?"

"Yes," said I, catching sight of the pale green glimmer as he placed me
in position. "Yes, I see it. What of it?"

"Just carry your eye from it down to the horizon at an angle of about
forty-five degrees in an easterly direction, and tell me if you see
anything particular."

I did so, and after two or three attempts thought I caught a faint gleam
like the light of a lamp shining through a red curtain.

"Yes," I answered, "I fancy I can just make out a dim something." And I
described what I saw.

"Precisely!" exclaimed Ryan delightedly. "There! now I have it in my
glass--no, it is gone again--this jump of a sea renders it almost
impossible to use one's telescope on the deck of such a lively little
hooker as this--not that I've a word to say against her, God bless her,
she's a beauty, every inch of her, but I wish she'd remain steady for a
second or two. There, I have it again! Yes, it's a light in the
barque's after-cabin. They've drawn the curtains, never suspecting that
the light would show through. Yes, there's no mistake about it, I can
see it quite plainly now; upon my word I believe we are overhauling her
now that the breeze has dropped a bit. Mr Pierrepoint, d'ye see that
light?"

"Where away, sir?"

It was pointed out to the lad, and after some searching and prying--for
it was so very dim that it was almost impossible to distinguish it with
the naked eye--he caught sight of it.

"Very well, then," remarked Ryan, with a return to his old, humorous
manner that showed how great a relief to him was the appearance of the
faint ruddy gleam, "keep your eye upon it, my bhoy, until I give ye a
shpell. Mr Dugdale and Oi are now goin' below to dinner, and if ye
lose soight of that loight, bedad I'll--I'll keelhaul ye, ye shpalpeen.
He's edgin' away off the wind, d'ye see, the blagguard! I wouldn't be
surprised if he was to up helm and shquare away before it in a minute or
two, hopin' to run us out of soight before the moon rises, so don't l