certain circumstances,
taking the direction of the wind and the state of the weather as data
upon which to base your argument, and, in conjunction with these, the
course the vessel was steering when last seen, or the part of the world
to which you have reason to believe she is bound, it is astonishing how
near a guess may be and is not unfrequently made as to her whereabouts.

Now we knew that the _Albatross_ was bound to the Pacific when we last
saw her, because she was then hove-to, evidently with the intention of
maintaining as weatherly a position as possible. Had she been bound to
the eastward, the weather was not so bad at that time as to have
prevented her scudding before it, which she undoubtedly would have done
under such circumstances, making a fair wind of it.

At the same time there was of course a possibility of our being mistaken
as to the craft in sight being the pirate-brig, it being by no means an
unusual thing for vessels as small as she was, or even smaller, to
venture round the Cape.

"Well," said I, "perhaps it will be safest, Bob, to assume for the
present that this brig _is_ the _Albatross_. What, under such
circumstances, is your advice?"

"Which of us has the weather-gauge, d'ye think?" queried Bob.

"It is rather difficult to decide at present," I replied. "Much depends
upon which of us is the fastest. If we are both going at about the same
speed, I should say we shall pass extremely close to her."

"How is she heading, Harry?" was the next question.

"To the northward, rather edging down towards us, if anything, I
thought."

"Ay, ay," chuckled Bob, "it ain't _every_ craft as can stick her
bowsprit into the wind's eye like this here little barkie. Now I dare
swear he's jammed hard up upon a taut bowline, and here _we_ are going
as close to the wind as he is, and every thread ramping full. Take hold
of her a minute, Hal, and let's see what these old eyes of mine can tell
us about the stranger."

I took hold of the tiller, and Bob went aloft with the deliberation of
the seaman who is in no particular hurry. Having reached the cross-
trees, he stood upon them, with one hand grasping the peak-halliards to
steady himself, whilst with the other he shaded his eyes.

"I see her, I see her," he exclaimed; "we're raising her fast, Harry, my
boy; and in another half-hour or so we shall see her from the deck." He
then went as high as the yard of the topsail, and clung there for a good
f