ut."

The mate peered long and attentively through the telescope, moving it
very slowly about that part of the horizon where he knew the frigate to
be, but without success.

"It's no go, boss," he said, "my eyes are pretty good, but they're not
good enough to see through such darkness as this."

Johnson chuckled. "Do you think," said he, "it looks any lighter ahead?
Would our sails show against that cloud-bank in the wake of the fore-
mast?"

"Not they," answered the mate confidently. "Why, it's darker, if
anything, ahead than it is astern."

"That's so," agreed Johnson with another chuckle. "Now, what," he
continued, "what do you think was the last thing the skipper of that
frigate did before the darkness closed down?"

"Well," said the mate, "if he knew his business, I should say he would
take our bearings."

"And you may take your oath that's exactly what he _did_," returned
Johnson. "Now, take a look round and tell me what you think of the
weather."

"The weather?" repeated the mate; "why, a child almost could tell what
the weather's going to be. We're going to have thunder, which will
bring a northerly breeze along with it while it lasts."

"Capital!" exclaimed Johnson. "Do you think, now, that the captain of
that man-o'-war astern is of the same opinion as you and I are about the
weather?"

"He's certain to be if he's a seaman," was the reply.

"Now, once more," proceeded Johnson, "supposing you thought of giving
the frigate the slip, as we might very easily do this dark night, what
course would you steer?"

"I should steer to the nor'ard," answered the mate, "so as to be to
wind'ard when the change comes."

"I knew it," exclaimed Johnson delightedly; "I was dead certain of it.
Now, we're going to give that frigate the slip by steering to the
_south'ard_; because her skipper will argue as you do, and when he finds
he's lost the run of us, he'll haul up to the nor'ard directly. Now,
just pass the word for the carpenter to bring along that water-cask I
ordered him to rig up this afternoon."

The word was passed, and in a minute or two three men came aft bearing
what appeared to be a water-cask with a pole passed down through the
bung-hole, and right out through the other side, about six feet of the
pole projecting on each side of the cask. To one end of this pole was
lashed a short light batten, and to the other end the men now proceeded
to secure a small pig of iron ballast. This done, t