Dick came on deck, he found the lugger hove to, with
the blue line of the English coast to the northward. Though the shore
could be seen, the vessel herself was too far off to be discerned from
thence. Most of the crew were below, but the watch on deck, vigilant as
ever, were turning their eyes in every direction, so that, should a
suspicious sail appear, they might at once shape a course which would
enable them to avoid her. Dick, who had been accustomed to an active
life, began to grow weary at having nothing to do. He walked the deck
with his hands in his pockets, talking to the men, or he sat below
listening to their yarns, which were generally not of a very edifying
character.

The greater number of the crew passed their time, either sleeping or
playing at cards or dice. Sometimes, for a change they turned to and
cleaned their muskets and pistols, or burnished up their cutlasses. It
was a relief when a stranger appeared whom it was thought better to
avoid. The lugger making sail stood to the southward. She returned to
her former position, however, as soon as the suspicious craft had
passed. This occurred twice during the day. At night she stood close
in to the coast, to look out for signals, but none were seen, and before
the morning she again took up her former position at a sufficient
distance to be invisible from the shore.

For several days the same sort of proceeding took place. Two or three
times she made all sail, it being supposed that she was chased, and once
she had a narrow escape from a French cruiser, who probably took her for
an English privateer. The wind continued moderate, and the sky clear,
and Dore began to swear and to wish for some real honest Channel
weather. At last the wind shifted, first to the southward and
afterwards to the south-west, from which direction a thick bank of mist
was seen coming up, and the lugger, directly she was shrouded by it,
made sail for the English coast. Although there was no fear of her
being seen from any distance, she still ran the risk of falling into the
lion's jaws, to avoid which a sharp lookout was kept, and all hands
stood ready to trim sails in case it should be necessary.

The night was coming on, and it was soon dark enough to suit their
requirements. She now frequently hove to, to sound as well as to watch
for any signal from the shore. At length a light was seen, faint and
dim through the mist, another was shown a short distance from