ner, I don't believe she'd lift
again. Anyhow, I shouldn't like to be aboard."

"No, it wouldn't be pleasant," said Rodd; "but I say, I can't see
anything of that long gun you talked about."

"No wonder, sir. You want that there long water-glass, as you called
it--that there one you showed me as you was unpacking it. Don't you
remember? Like a big pipe with panes of glass in it as you said you
could stick down into the sea and make out what was on the bottom. You
want that now."

The man passed his hand along the brow edge of his sou'-wester to sweep
away the drops, and then took a long look at the deck of the brig.

"No, sir; can't make it out now; but I see it plainly enough this
morning, covered with a lashed down tarpaulin as if to hide it, and I
knew at once. I can almost tell a big gun by the smell--I mean feel it
like, if it's there."

"But do you still think she's a privateer?"

"Well, I don't say she is, sir, for that's a thing you can't tell for
sartain unless you see a ship's papers; but she is something of that
kind, I should say, and--Ay, ay, sir!--There's the skipper hailed me,
sir. I say, Mr Rodd, sir, do mind you don't get wet!"

This was as the man rolled away sailor fashion, and emitting a crackling
whishing sound as he made for the vessel's bows, where he received some
order from his captain which sent him to the covered-in hatchway of the
forecastle, where he slowly disappeared into a kind of haze, half water,
half smoke, for several of the water-bound crew had given up the chewing
of their tobacco to indulge in pipes.

But Rodd was in a talkative humour, and made his way to the skipper,
saluting him with--

"I say, Captain Chubb, how do you manage to do it?"

"Do what, my lad?"

"Why, say for certain what the weather's going to be."

There was a low chuckling sound such as might have been emitted by a
good-humoured porpoise which had just ended one of its underwater
curves, and thrust its head above the surface to take a good deep breath
before it turned itself over and dived down again.

"Second natur', youngster, and that's use. Takes a long time to learn,
and when you have larnt your lesson perfect as you think, you find that
you don't know it a bit."

"But you did know it," said Rodd. "You said that the storm would come
on again, when it was beautiful and fine yesterday evening; and here it
is."

"Well, yes, my lad, if you goes on for years trying to hit something you