eling of recklessness that it begot; but, all the
same, I did not believe that we were doing more than perhaps just
holding our own with the _Virginia_; it was not under such conditions as
those that we were likely to overhaul her; our chance would come when,
as we gradually neared the equator, the wind grew more shy and fitful.
Nevertheless, I kept a look-out in the fore-topmast cross-trees
throughout the hours of daylight, to make sure that we should not
overtake her unexpectedly.

We carried on all through that night, and the next day, and the next,
with the breeze still holding strong, yet there was no sign of the
chase; and, meanwhile, the carpenter informed me we were straining the
ship all to pieces and opening her seams to such an extent that the
pumps had to be tended for half an hour at a time twice in each watch;
while the boatswain was kept in a perpetual state of anxiety lest his
rigging should give way under the strain.

At length, on the afternoon of the fourth day after parting from the
_Eros_, the wind began to moderate somewhat rapidly, with the result
that by sunset our lee scuppers were dry, although we still had all our
flying kites aloft; and that night the watch below were able to bring
their mattresses on deck and sleep on the forecastle, a luxury which had
hitherto been impossible during our headlong race across the Atlantic.
And now I began to feel sanguine that before many hours were over we
should see the mastheads of the _Virginia_ creeping above the horizon
somewhere ahead of us; for I felt convinced that, in the moderate
weather which we were then experiencing, we had the heels of her.

But when the next morning dawned, with the trade-wind breathing no more
than a gentle zephyr, the look-out, upon going aloft, reported that the
horizon was still bare; which, however, was not to say that the chase
might not be within a dozen miles of us, for the atmosphere was
exceedingly hazy, and heavy with damp heat which was very oppressive and
relaxing, to such an extent, indeed, that the mere act of breathing
seemed to demand quite an effort. After taking my usual morning bath
under the head pump, I made my way below to my state-room to dress, and
found Keene sitting in the main cabin, on one of the sofa lockers,
attired only in shirt and trousers, perspiring freely, and in a general
state of limpness that was pitiable to behold.

"Morning, skipper!" he gasped. "I say, isn't this heat awful? Wor