re_ as positive upon
this matter as you say, I wish you would speak to Captain Vernon about
it; it might--and no doubt _would_--help us very materially in effecting
the capture of the pirate-brig. We have seen the _Vestale_ twice, and
have had so good an opportunity to note her peculiarities of structure
and equipment that we shall now know her again as far off as we can see
her. If, therefore, we should ever happen to fall in with a brig the
exact counterpart of the _Vestale_ in all respects, except as to the
matters of her figure-head and the painting of her hull, I should think
we may take it for granted that that brig will undoubtedly be the pirate
which destroyed the _Juliet_. And you may depend upon it, my good sir,
that it is that identical craft that the _Vestale_ is now seeking."

"Ye-es, very likely--quite possible," he replied hesitatingly, and
evidently still labouring under the feeling of perplexity I had noticed.
Then, straightening himself up and passing his hand across his
forehead, as though to clear away the mental cobwebs there, he added:
"I'll go and speak to Captain Vernon about it at once."

And away he accordingly walked to carry out his resolve.

We stood on as we were going until eight bells in the afternoon watch
that day, when the ship was hove round on the larboard tack and a course
shaped for Saint Paul de Loando, our skipper having come to the
conclusion that the brig referred to in the _Vestale's_ signal was
undoubtedly the craft which we had been on our way back to the Congo to
look for, and that as, according to the gun-brig's statement, she was no
longer there, we were now free to proceed direct to Saint Paul to land
the burnt-out crew as soon as possible.

We entered the bay--upon the shore of which the town is built--about 10
a.m. on the second day after our last meeting with the _Vestale_, and,
anchoring in ten fathoms, lowered a boat, in which Mr Richards and his
crew were landed, Captain Vernon going on shore with them. The skipper
remained on shore until 4 p.m., and when he came off it was easy to see
that he was deeply preoccupied. The boat was at once hoisted in, the
messenger passed, the anchor hove up, and away we went again, crowding
sail for the Congo. As soon as the ship was clear of the Loando reef
and fairly at sea once more, Captain Vernon summoned the first and
second lieutenants to his cabin, where the three remained closeted with
him for some time, indeed the