ndeed, indications
of a bustle on board the ship. The sun was shining brightly full on her
white canvas, and even the dark mass of her hull could be made out, as
she came careering through the waves, with all sail set to her royals on
a taut bowline. Then her sails shivered, the black bows came sweeping
up to the wind, the yards were braced round, as the ship, now on the
opposite tack, every moment lessened the chance of those on board the
doomed raft.

"One effort more, my lads; stay a moment, they'll be coiling down the
sheets and bowlines just now. Are you ready? `Ship, ahoy! ahoy!
aho-o-o-y!'" roared the captain with all the force of his powerful
lungs, producing a shout, with which the voices of all on board joined,
even the feeble treble of Isabel being heard.

It was useless; the ship neither heard nor saw them, but kept calmly and
steadily on her course, leaving them to their fate. Towards sunset her
royals only could be seen on the horizon, and when the stars shone
forth, the raft was once more rising and falling in helpless loneliness
on the waves of the sleeping ocean, slowly dragging on her way.

Isabel had retired, and cried herself to sleep. Hughes had thrown
himself, as was his wont, before the opening of the cabin, and was quite
motionless. Near him lay several recumbent forms wrapped in cloaks or
tarpaulins, while the men, grouped together, were, or seemed to be,
sleeping.

He had bitterly felt the cruel disappointment of the morning, and,
though it was nearly midnight, was in reality wide awake. A low
confused murmur reached him, and he listened attentively.

"I tell you he has all the gold aboard, Phillips; enough to make men of
the likes of we," were the words which came to his ears.

"For the matter of that, Gough, he'll die hard, the old beggar, and some
of us will lose the number of our mess."

"All the more gold for them as remains," muttered the man Gough.

"Well, if so be as we are to go in for the yellow boys, why not now?
They're all caulking soundly."

"No, yonder ship may be within hail to-morrow morning, and a fine mess
we should be in," answered the ruffian.

Hughes at once became aware that mischief was brewing, and determined to
discover what it was. Slowly he dragged himself onwards, inch by inch,
until he lay in a position where he could hear well. The two were
sitting up, wrapped in their greatcoats, and spoke low and cautiously.
The pale light of day was just b