brigantine returning in search of us? For the first quarter of
an hour or so after the sounds had once again broken in upon the silence
this was a question very difficult to decide; but when half-an-hour had
passed the fact was indisputable that the pirates _were returning_, for
the sounds had become distinctly clearer and stronger than they had at
first been.

What was now to be done? There was but one course for us; namely, to
take every possible measure for the defence of the ship to our last
gasp, for I felt assured that, should Mendouca recover possession of
her, his fury at the trick that we had played him would be sated by
nothing short of our absolute destruction. Having quickly made up my
mind upon this point, I was in the act of groping my way along the poop,
with the object of calling the men, when I thought I felt a faint
stirring of the air, and, pausing for a moment, I moistened the back of
my hand and held it up, turning it this way and that until I felt a
distinct sensation of coolness. Yes, there was no doubt about it, I had
felt a cat's-paw, and it seemed to be coming over our starboard quarter;
while the sound of the sweeps was away broad on our port bow. I could
scarcely restrain a cheer as the hope of a breeze thus came to encourage
me at the very moment when a new and terrible danger was threatening us.
I paused for an instant and reflected; and my thoughts took somewhat
this shape: "If Mendouca is returning--and he undoubtedly is--it is
because through some unfortunate combination of circumstances my absence
has already been discovered, and he has at once jumped to the correct
conclusion that I have somehow contrived to escape from the brigantine
to the ship. And he knows me well enough to feel assured that, once
here, I shall not tamely allow the Indiaman to go down under my feet;
or, if that should prove unpreventible, that I shall at least release
the prisoners and concoct with them some plan of escape, such as taking
to the boats, or constructing a raft. And he also knows that, in either
case, should we succeed in preserving our lives until we are fallen in
with, or picked up, his atrocious act of piracy and murder will be
proclaimed, and every craft in the squadron will be specially ordered to
keep a look-out for him and effect his capture at all hazards.
Therefore he will spare no effort to find the ship and destroy her.
Now--ah, there is another little breath of wind, I felt it disti