to trade he also knows pretty well, or we
should have a craft big enough to stow away something like a paying
cargo; and if we're here for neither one nor t'other of them objects,
he'll want to know what we _are_ here for; and, depend upon it, he won't
be happy till he's found out. So take my advice, Harry, and, if we fall
in with him again, let's give him a wide berth."

"Decidedly; I shall do so if possible," returned I. "But that may prove
no such easy matter with so smart a vessel as he has under his feet."

"Not in heavy weather, certainly," said Bob; "but give us weather in
which we can carry a topsail, even if it's no more nor a jib-header, and
I'll say, `Catch who catch can!' Why, we can lay a good two pints
closer to the wind than he can, and still keep a good clean full; and
the square-rigged craft that can beat us in going to wind'ard must be an
out-and-out flyer, and no mistake. We must keep a bright look-out, and
not be caught napping, that's all; and give _everything_ a good wide
berth till we're pretty certain of what it is."

"Well," said I, "I trust we shall not fall in with him again. The
Pacific is a pretty big place, and it's not so easy to find a craft in
it when you don't know where to look for her. If we _do_ meet with him
again, we must do all we can to avoid him, and hope for the best."

"Ay, ay," returned Bob, "`hope for the best and prepare for the worst'
is a good maxim for any man. It takes him clear of many a difficulty,
and enables him to lay his course on the v'yage of life clean full, and
with slack bowlines. As for this here Johnson, I'd ask nothing better
than to have him just out of gun-shot under our lee, with a nice breeze,
and not too much sea for the little _Lily_, and then let him catch us if
he's man enough for the job."

I certainly could not echo this wish of Bob's; but it was satisfactory
to find that he had such great confidence in the boat and in her ability
to escape from the _Albatross_, so I allowed him to remain in
undisturbed enjoyment of his own opinion, especially as it seemed to
afford him considerable entertainment, and went on deck to take another
look at the weather.

There was no sign of the gale breaking; in fact, it seemed to be
scarcely at its height, for away to windward it looked as dirty and as
full of wind as ever; and the sea was something awful to contemplate.
It looked, of course, worse to us than it would to those on the deck of
a large