regard to
the probable length of the cruise. The vessel was still headed away
from Brest; and even if she put about then, it might take her two or
three days to work back to the port where they had left the ship. The
prospect was decidedly sickening. The Josephine was far out of sight of
land, and still headed south-west by west. The officers were as
taciturn as on the previous day, so far as the destination of the
vessel was concerned, though they were very considerate in every other
respect. There was nothing to do after the decks had been washed down
in the morning. The wind was a little lighter, and, in addition to the
top-gallant-sail, the fore square-sail was set, so that her speed was
at no time less than ten knots, and most of the time it was twelve.

"What do you make of it now, Little?" said Ibbotson, just before noon
on the second day out. "Do you think we shall get back to Brest in a
day or two?"

"Of course we shall."

"Bah! What's the use of talking? We couldn't beat back to Brest now in
three days."

"Perhaps we shall make some other port in France," suggested Little,
with a sickly smile.

"What! steering south-west by west? Not much! I tell you we are
homeward bound."

"Nonsense! Not unless we are going by the way of Cape Horn, Behring's
Straits, and the North-west Passage! Keep cool, Ibbotson; we shall come
out right yet."

"But we are sold. Lowington has the weather-gage of us, and we are
beaten at our own game."

"Not yet."

"Yes, we are. We shall not see the coast of France again this year.
I'll bet you Fluxion's starboard whisker, our cruise for this season is
up."

"Don't croak."

They all croaked when the vessel had been out thirty hours, and was
still persistently headed to the south-west. The day wore wearily away,
crowded with doubt, anxiety, and perplexity to the runaways. At three
in the afternoon, when the starboard watch were on deck, Peaks, by
order of Mr. Fluxion, stationed a lookout in the fore-top. Perth and
Herman were the first to do this duty.

"I suppose our game is all up," said the latter, as they seated
themselves in the top.

"It don't look very hopeful; but I suppose we are going somewhere,"
replied Perth. "When we make a port, I'm off, if I have to swim
ashore."

"I'm with you; but those five-pound notes will suffer in the water."

"I will look out for them," answered Perth, grating his teeth with
anger. "I think we are reduced to common sailors, and I c