weather, the whereabouts of the brig,
and so on, and intimated that it was time for me to turn out if I wished
to indulge in my usual luxury of a salt-water bath under the head-pump.
I accordingly tumbled out, and, going on deck, made my way forward along
the heaving planks into the eyes of the little vessel. I was just about
to place myself under the clear sparkling stream of salt-water that
gushed from the spout of the pump when the sound of a loud snap overhead
caused me to look aloft, and I saw that the royal halyard had parted,
and that the yard was sagging down with its own weight, and the sail
bellying out with the pressure of the wind in it. Jones, the acting
boatswain, who had charge of the deck, instantly observed the trifling
mishap, and shouted an order for the sail to be temporarily clewed up,
and for a hand to go aloft and bend the halyard afresh. Meanwhile I
proceeded to take my bath, and was giving myself a vigorous towelling
afterwards, when the man who had gone aloft hailed the deck with the cry
of:

"Sail ho! about two points before the starboard beam."

"What does she look like?" demanded the boatswain.

"She's a tidy-sized brigantine or schooner, sir, for I can see the head
of her topgallant-sail and gaff-topsail. She's steerin' pretty much the
same way as ourselves, by the look of her."

"Very well, that'll do. Look alive with that royal halyard there. We
don't want the commodore to signal, askin' us how long we're goin' to
take over the job."

"I'll have all ready to sway away in less than a minute, sir; it's been
rather a awk'ard job," answered the man.

"Mr Jones," I shouted, "be good enough to signal the commodore that
there is a strange sail in the northern board, will you?"

"Ay, ay, sir!" answered Jones; and he dived below for the signal book,
which was kept in the main cabin. A minute later we had temporarily
hauled down our main-topmast staysail, to permit a clear view of our
flags, and were busily exchanging signals with the brig. Meanwhile,
having dried myself, I went below to dress.

Presently a heavy footstep sounded on the companion ladder and a bunch
of horny knuckles rapped at my state-room door. "Come in," I cried, and
as the door opened Jones poked his head in.

"Commodore's signalled us to haul our wind half a p'int, sir," he
reported.

"Very good, Mr Jones; have the goodness to do so," I said, and the
boatswain vanished.

Upon returning to the deck after