to me what I shall do, or what I shan't do; because
I won't have it. I satisfied myself that there was nobody upon that
wreckage; and that's enough."

"I presume you have no objection to my satisfying _myself_ also that
there is nobody upon it?" returned Leslie, keeping his temper admirably
in face of the other's offensive manner. "If you will kindly lend me
the ship's glass, I will go up into the main-top and have a look for
myself."

"So you don't trust me, eh?" sneered Potter. "Well, you'll just have
to, whether you like it or not. I refuse to let you use the ship's
glass; I forbid you to touch it; it's the only glass aboard; and I'm not
going to risk the loss of it by trusting it to a man who may clumsily
drop it overboard for aught that I can tell."

"Very well," said Leslie; "if you choose to be uncivil and offensive, I
cannot help it. At all events, I will take a look for myself."

And, so saying, he sprang into the main rigging and danced up the
ratlines at a pace that made the shellbacks on deck stare in wonderment.

"Come down out of my rigging, you; d'ye hear?" roared Potter. "Come
down, I say. How dare you take such liberties aboard my ship? D'ye
hear what I say?" as Leslie grasped the futtock shrouds and lightly drew
himself over the rim of the top. "If you don't come down at once I'll
send a couple of hands aloft to fetch ye."

Taking not the slightest notice of the man's ravings, Leslie stood,
lightly grasping the topmast rigging in one hand while he shaded his
eyes with the other, gazing intently away to the westward meanwhile. At
first he could see nothing; but presently, being remarkably keen of
sight, he caught what he was looking for, some three miles away. At
this distance it was of course quite impossible to discern details with
the unaided eye; but as he gazed the impression grew upon him of
something moving there; the suggestion conveyed was that of a fluttering
or waving movement, as though some one were endeavouring to attract the
attention of those on board the brig. And the longer he gazed, the
stronger grew the conviction that there really was some living thing
upon that floating mass of wreckage. He stared at it until his eyes
ached; and finally he hailed--

"On deck there! I am almost certain that you are mistaken in your
supposition that there is no one on that wreckage. I cannot of course
be absolutely sure without the glass; but _with_ it, there could be no
possi