uall came down thick and strong on us.
The order was given to clew up the courses and take a reef in the
topsails. The wind, though coming off the land, quickly beat the ocean
into wild tossing waves, through which the brig dashed forward with
lessened sail, yet still with increased speed. A thick misty
appearance, caused by a fine impalpable sand brought off the land by the
squall, soon hid the stranger from sight. "It's an ill wind that blows
nobody good," observed the mate; "and I hope we shall be in luck, and
get out of the way of that fellow; I don't like his looks, that I
don't."

What Captain Magor thought about the matter he did not say. He kept the
brig away, running as before, which showed that he considered the
stranger was still in pursuit of us. Harry and I looked out for her,
but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Perhaps the squall took her unawares and carried away her masts; if so,
and she is an enemy, we may thank the wind for the service it has
rendered us," observed the first mate.

"There's little chance of that, I fear," said Captain Magor. "When it
clears up again we shall see her all ataunto, or I am much mistaken."

We all continued looking out anxiously over the taffrail, while the brig
ploughed her way through the fast rising seas, which hissed and foamed
around her.

The captain paced the deck, now looking aft, now aloft, waiting for the
moment when he could venture to make sail again. The men stood with
their hands on the halyard, ready to hoist away at the expected order,
for all on board knew the importance of keeping ahead of the stranger
should she be what we suspected. Still the atmosphere remained charged
with dust off the coast, which, as the rays of the sun fell upon it,
assumed a yellowish hue. At any moment, however, it might dissolve, and
already it had sunk lower than when it first came on. Before long we
had evidence that the captain's surmise was correct, for just over the
thick bank astern we caught sight through our glasses of a fine
perpendicular line against the sky, which he asserted were the royal
masts of the stranger, with the royals still furled. If he was right--
and of that there appeared little doubt--she must have gained rapidly on
us. The best we could hope for was that the mist would continue until
nightfall and shroud us from her sight. The setting sun, it should be
understood, cast its light upon her masts, while ours were still in the
shade. We