ng a
person in the stern-sheets, wrapped up in a cloak, with a broad-brimmed
hat shading his features. The hat may not have been worn for the
purpose of disguise, for the rays of the sun, striking down full upon
the water, were very ardent, and there was good reason for its being
worn to protect him from their fury; but there was not quite so much for
the use of the cloak, unless, following the Italian fashion, he carried
that also over his shoulders for the same reason. The boat ran
alongside the speronara, when the person, whoever he was, stepped out,
and the foresail being let draw, the beautiful little craft stood out of
the harbour. The boat on its return was found to belong to the boatman
Manuel, who, being questioned as to the person he had conveyed on board
the speronara, declared that he had not the slightest notion who he
was--that he had never before seen his face, and that he could not tell
whether he was an Englishman, an Italian, or a Frenchman, but that he
thought the former. He said, all he knew was, that he had come down to
the shore and engaged his boat, and as he had paid him well for the job,
it was not his business to make further inquiries. The general opinion
was, that he was some person making his escape from his creditors; but
by the time the proper authorities were informed of the supposed fact,
and the necessary measures taken to ascertain its truth, the delinquent
was far beyond their reach.

The wind was about north-west--there was a nice fresh breeze, and
supposing that the speronara was bound for Syracuse, she could, hauling
as close to the wind as she was able to do, easily lay her course for
that port. Either, however, she was carelessly steered, or she was
bound to some port in Italy, for, after hauling round Saint Elmo, she
fell off considerably from the wind, and finally, when she might have
been supposed to have got beyond the range of observation of those on
shore, who were not likely to take much notice of so insignificant a
little craft, and of so ordinary a rig, she eased off both her sheets,
and, with the wind on her larboard quarter, indeed, almost astern, ran
out into the offing. By this course she crossed in a short time the
mouth of the harbour; and though at a considerable distance, she was
enabled to watch any vessel coming out.

Her movements, however, were not totally unobserved, for Captain
Fleetwood, who had called at the house of Colonel Gauntlett, early in
t