I remained close beside him during
the whole time, and his excitement and perplexity were so palpable that
I could not refrain from questioning him as to the cause.

"I'll tell you, Mr Hawkesley," he replied. "You see that craft there?
Well, I could almost stake my soul that she and the pirate-brig were
built on the same stocks. The two craft are the same size to a ton,
I'll swear that; and they are the same model and the same rig to a
nicety. It's true I was only able to closely inspect the other craft at
night-time, but it was by brilliant moonlight, and I was able to note
every detail of her build, rig, and equipment almost as plainly as I now
can that of the brig before us; and the two are sister-ships. They
carry the same number of guns--ay, even to the long-gun I see there on
the French brig's forecastle. The masts in both ships have the same
rake, the yards the same spread, and the running-gear is rove and led in
exactly the same manner. The only difference I can distinguish between
the two ships is that yonder brig has a broad white ribbon round her,
and a small figure-head painted white, whilst the pirate-craft was
painted black down to her copper, and she carried a large black figure-
head representing a negress with a gaudy scarf wrapped about her waist."

"Um!" I remarked. "Lend me the glass a moment, will you? Thanks!"

The _Vestale_ was, at the moment, just about to cross our fore-foot, and
was therefore about as near to us as she would be at all I focused the
telescope--a fine powerful instrument--upon her, and could clearly see
the weather-stains and the yellowish-red marks of rust in the wake of
her chain-plates upon the broad white ribbon which stretched along her
side. Evidently that band of white paint had been exposed to sun and
storm for many a long day. Then I had a look at her figure-head. It
was a half-length model of a female figure, beautifully carved, less
than life-size, with one arm drooping gracefully downwards, and the
other--the right--outstretched, with a gilded lamp in the right hand.
That, too, was weather-stained, and the gilding tarnished by long
exposure. Those pertinacious, half-formed suspicions, which Richards'
words had stirred into new life were refuted; and yet, as I have said, I
could _not_ shake them off, try as I would, and argue with myself as I
would, that they were utterly ridiculous and unreasonable.

"Look here, Mr Richards," said I; "if you really _a