houted the captain in my ear, in response to this
suggestion. "I do not believe that she _has_ seen us yet; but that is
not of much consequence, since both of us are steering as steadily as
pleasure-boats on a river, and I will take care to make her acquainted
with our whereabouts if there appears to be the slightest danger of her
running over us. But I want her to pass as near us as possible, so that
we may have a good view of her. For there seems to me to be a something
familiar-looking about her, as though I had seen her before; and,
between you and me, Harry, I believe her to be our old friend the barque
again. And, if so, we must keep up with her at all costs until the
weather moderates sufficiently to bring her to; so just step for'ard,
will you, my lad, and get the fore-trysail on deck and bent ready for
setting in case we need it. And let one hand bring aft a lantern, _not_
lighted, mind ye; he can take it below, light it _there_, and leave it
at the foot of the companion-ladder all ready to show a light if yonder
stranger seems likely to sheer too close to us in passing."

I went forward, as requested, and found that the watch below had already
returned to their hammocks, the crisis having passed, and the schooner
scudding as comfortably as could be before the gale. The trysail was
got up from below, bent, halliards and sheets hooked on, and, in short,
made all ready for setting, and I returned aft to Ryan's side, having to
claw my way to him along the rail in preference to creeping along the
deck upon all fours, which seemed to be the only alternative method of
making headway against the wind. The sea was by this time getting up,
and the air was full of spume and scud-water, caught up from the surface
of the sea and the crests of the waves and swept along in a blinding,
drenching shower by the gale. My superior officer was still clinging to
the companion, with his eyes intently fixed upon the strange sail
astern, which, now that the dense masses of cloud overhead were torn
into shreds of flying scud by the fury of the wind, was pretty
distinctly visible, at a distance of about a mile and a half, by the
dim, misty moonlight that filtered through.

"I've been trying to get a peep at her through my night-glass,"
exclaimed Ryan, with a wave of his hand toward the dark blotch in the
midst of the white foam, "but there is no holding it in such a breeze as
this; you have to keep a tight grip on the thing or t