can't even see her," said the colonel. "Do you
mean to tell me that you can distinguish what that little black mark is
out there?"

"Yes, Colonel Gauntlett, I am certain that yonder object is either a
brig or a ship, under her tops'ils, standing to the eastward, and that
the other, you see, to the north of her, is a felucca or speronara.
Now, sir, if there is any credit to be placed in the letter we got last
night, and in the account the two Sicilians who came on board gave us,
and in the warnings we got at Malta, we are likely to fall in with a
brig which is no better than she should be, and which is in connection,
some way or other, with that same speronara. Now, there is a brig on
the same course that we are; yet, for some reason or other, in no hurry
to make a passage: perhaps, she is waiting for us to come up with her.
Then there floats just such another craft as the speronara, supposing it
is not she herself: so, if we are to fall in with a pirate, I cannot
help thinking that brig ahead is the vessel. That is one thing I have
to mention to you, sir; and please to look to the south'ard and
east'ard. The black bank gathering there shows that we shall have a
very different time of it to what we had yesterday."

"Well, Mr Bowse, what would you have us do?" exclaimed the colonel,
with rather a puzzled look. "Do you wish us to put back?"

"No, Colonel Gauntlett, I have been brought up in a school where it is
not the custom to run from any danger men can meet with, when there is a
chance of overcoming it," replied the master, with not a little dignity
in his tone. "But I thought it my duty to inform you, sir, of what, in
my opinion, is likely to occur; and, please Providence, we'll do our
best to meet and overcome any dangers which may appear."

"I like your spirit, Bowse, and cordially agree with you," exclaimed the
colonel, taking his hand. "Those black clouds may, after all, only
indicate a squall; and, as for the pirate, if one falls foul of us I
think we snail have no difficulty in handling him."

"I won't deceive you, sir; if you had been as much at sea as I have you
would know that those clouds foretell a gale; but such a gale as I hope
the _Zodiac_ will weather without straining a timber; and, for the
pirate, we must keep our weather eye open, that he does not take us
unawares. Perhaps, Providence tends the storm to keep us clear of the
pirate. My advice to you, sir, is to warn the young lady and her