hich the ship was reeling off her ten knots, under a main
topgallant-sail. But I was greatly surprised to see that, instead of
steering south, we were heading in for the coast, on a south-westerly
course. I made some remark upon this to Carter, who again had the
watch, to which he replied:

"Well, you see, sir, it's a fancy of the skipper's. He's got some sort
of a theory that, by hugging the coast close, and takin' advantage of
the sea and land breezes, as they blows night and mornin', we shall do
rather better than we should by thrashin' to wind'ard against the south-
east trade. I don't know whether there's anything in it myself, but
it's the first time that I've ever heard of the notion. But there he
is--and in a blazin' bad temper, too, by the looks of him! Shall I take
you aft and introjuce you to him?"

"Certainly," said I. "If we are to have any unpleasantness, let us have
it at once, and get it over."

There was, however, to be no unpleasantness--just then, at all events--
except in so far as poor Carter was concerned; for when he and I went
aft to where Captain Williams--a tall, powerful-looking, and rather
handsome man in a barbaric sort of way, with a pair of piercing black
eyes, and an abundant crop of black, curly hair, with beard and
moustache to match--was standing on the quarter-deck, just outside the
entrance of the saloon, the captain stepped forward, and, extending his
hand, bade me welcome to his ship with every sign of the utmost
friendliness. But he gave poor Carter a terrific wigging for not having
called him when the boats were first sighted, and for receiving us on
board without first consulting him.

"For how could you know, Mr Carter," he said, "that the boats were not
full of pirates? Less unlikely things than that have happened, let me
tell you; and when you come to know this coast as well as I know it, you
will be rather more chary of receiving a couple of boats' crews
professing to be distressed seamen."

"Oh," said I, "as to that, Mr Carter took pretty good care to satisfy
himself as to our _bona fides_ before permitting us to come alongside!
At all events he made sure that we were British, and I think there are
very few Britons who take kindly to piracy."

"Perhaps not, sir, perhaps not; at least I hope that, for the credit of
our countrymen, you are right," answered the skipper. "At the same time
there are many foreigners who speak English well enough to answer a
hail,