and there overhead; moreover
the wind had hauled round from the eastward and was now blowing a fresh
topgallant breeze that had already raised a short choppy sea, over which
the _Dolphin_ was plunging as lightly and buoyantly as a sea-gull, doing
her seven knots easily, although the skipper had taken all the square
canvas off her, letting her go along under mainsail, foresail, staysail,
and jibs. There was nothing to be seen, as the fog still lay thick on
the water; but there were indications that it would probably lift before
long, and Captain Winter had therefore ordered all hands to be called,
so that we might be ready for any emergency that might arise.

"Sorry to have been obliged to disturb you, George, before your time,"
said the skipper, as I appeared on deck; "but the fog shows signs of
clearing, and I want to be ready to act decisively the moment that we
catch sight of the Indiaman."

"Quite so, sir," I replied. "Where do you expect to make her?"

"Ah!" he answered; "that's just the question that has been puzzling me.
We did not see enough of her last night to enable us to judge very
accurately what her rate of sailing may be; but I rather fancy, from the
glimpse we caught of her, that she is something of a slow ship, and, if
so, we may have run past her. At the same time, if the French have got
hold of her--of which I have very little doubt--they would be pretty
certain to crowd sail upon her in order to get well over toward their
own coast before daylight. I have shortened sail, as you see, so as to
reduce our own speed as nearly as possible to what I judge hers will be;
but this schooner is a perfect flyer--there's no holding her,--and it
would not surprise me a bit to find that we have shot ahead of the
chase. I feel more than half inclined to heave-to for a short time; but
Lovell thinks that the Indiaman is still ahead of us somewhere."

"Well," said I, "we ought to see something of her before long, for it is
clearing fast overhead, and it appears to me that, even down here on the
water, I can see further than I could when I first came on deck."

It was evident that the skipper was very fidgety, so I thought I would
not further unsettle him by obtruding my own opinion--which coincided
with his--upon him; therefore, finding him slightly disposed to be
taciturn, I left him, and made the round of the deck, assuring myself
that all hands were on the alert, and ready to go to quarters at any
moment.