"In which case," said I, "you may say good-bye to the brig and to the
slaves in her; and may think yourself lucky if you are able to recover
your boats."

I do not know whether he heard me or not. I think it probable that he
did; but he made no reply, turning his back upon me, and keeping his
glances alternately roving between the boats and the sky, which latter
had by this time assumed a most sinister and threatening aspect, so much
so, indeed, that had I been in Mendouca's place I should have recalled
the boats without another moment's delay. But I could see that he had
set his heart upon securing possession of the brig, and was willing to
run a considerable amount of risk in the effort to do so.

At length, when the boats were, according to my estimation, a little
better than half-way to the brig, another flash of lightning, vivid and
blinding, blazed forth, this time from almost overhead, only the very
smallest perceptible interval of time elapsing between it and the
accompanying thunder-crash, which was so appallingly loud and startling
that for a moment I felt fairly deaf and stunned with it, and before I
had fairly recovered my dazed senses the rain came pelting down in drops
as large as crown-pieces. The rain lasted for only three or four
seconds, however, and then ceased again abruptly, while almost at the
same instant a brief scurry of wind swept past us, just lifting the
staysail--which was by this time the only sail remaining set on board
us--and causing it to flap feebly for a moment, when it was once more
calm again; but we could trace the puff a long distance to the westward
by its track along the oily surface of the water.

Mendouca turned to me with an oath. "When it comes, it will come to us
dead on end from the brig!" he exclaimed. "It is just like my cursed
luck! Do you think it is too late to recall the boats?"

"Yes," I answered decidedly. "They are now nearer the brig than they
are to us, and their best chance certainly is to keep on as they are
going."

Mendouca turned and bestowed upon the boats yet another long
scrutinising glance; and then said, with his eyes still fixed upon
them--

"I do not agree with you. I think they are quite as near to us as they
are to the brig; and if they keep on and the squall bursts before they
reach the brig, they will have to pull against it, and may perhaps not
fetch her after all, whereas if I recall them, and they are overtaken
before they reac