ship. The little craft was still lying over far enough to cause the sea
to wash up over the glass and obscure the view occasionally, but there
were nevertheless intervals of quite long enough duration to enable me
to note that the morning was overcast and lowering, with a decided
thundery look in the sky, and that the sea had gone down very
considerably while I had been lying asleep.

"Well, San Domingo," I said, "are there any signs of the chase? And
where is the commodore?"

"De chase, sah, am about four mile to wind'ard ob us, bearin' about half
a point abaft de beam, and de commodore am 'bout a mile and a half
astern of us."

"Astern of us--the commodore astern of us, did you say?" exclaimed I
incredulously.

"Yes, sah," answered the black, quite unmoved, "dead astern ob us. We
hab both weadered and head-reached on him durin' de night."

"Has he made any signals since I came below?" asked I.

"Not dat I am aware ob," answered the fellow. "But, if massa wish, I
will go on deck and ask Mistah Simpson."

"No, never mind," said I. "No doubt Mr Simpson would have called me
had such been the case. What canvas are we under?"

"All plain sail, to de royal, sah."

"Very well, that will do," said I, taking the cup and draining it.
"Find me my bath towel, San Domingo, and then you may go."

A minute later I was on deck, still in my sleeping rig, and looking
about me. The weather was pretty much as I had judged it to be from the
glimpse that I had caught through my state-room port. As San Domingo
had said, the _Dona Inez_ was about a mile and a half so dead astern of
us that her two masts were in one, while, in the precise position which
the negro had indicated, there lay a fine, spanking brigantine thrashing
along under a perfect cloud of canvas to her royal, which, by the way,
appeared to have as much hoist, and nearly as much canvas on it, as our
topsail.

"Nothing to report, sir," said Simpson, coming up to me as I emerged
from the companion. "We made out the chase about two bells this
morning; but I did not call you, sir, as she showed no signs of shiftin'
her helm. And the commodore haven't said a word all night. I reckon
he'll be a bit surprised when he sees where we are."

"To tell you the truth, Simpson, I am `a bit surprised' myself," said I.
"She is a wonderful little craft to have beaten the _Inez_ as she has
done, and that, too, in a strong breeze." And, turning away, I went
forward and