s, rising and falling in the heavy swell, they burned a blue
light, which the _Dauntless_ answered with another, and ran up a
masthead lantern to guide them. A few minutes later they clambered up
the ladder, the boat was hoisted in, and the boatswain's whistle was
rousing the watch on deck:

"Mainsail haul!"

By morning the island had sunk behind them, and standing on the dizzy
main-royal yard with one arm round the mast, Jack could make out nothing
but a little cloud on the horizon.

At sixty, John Garrard was a post captain, a Knight Commander of the
Bath, and within a year of receiving flag rank and the command of a
fleet. His career had been more than distinguished, and he had won his
way to the front as much by his fine personal qualities as by his
invariable good judgment and high professional attainments. He had
earned the character of a man who could be trusted in situations
involving tact, temper, and diplomatic skill; and no captain in the navy
was more confidently ordered to those scenes of international tension,
which, in spite of statesmen, so often arise in some distant place to
menace the peace of the world.

He had never married, and when rallied on the subject was wont to say
with a laugh that the sea was his only mistress. No one had ever
ventured to question him much further, though his friends were often
piqued, especially the women, as to an implied romance in the captain's
earlier life. It was known he supported two old-maid sisters, the Misses
Hadow, the impoverished daughters of his first commander; but in view of
his considerable private fortune this drain on his resources seemed
scarcely the reason of his renunciation. Nor did it seem to his admirers
that any woman could have had the heart to refuse him, for even at sixty
he was a noticeably handsome man, and was endowed, besides, with more
than the advantage of good looks, a charm of manner, a distinction, a
captivating gallantry that made him everywhere a favorite.

He was in command of the _Inflexible_ battleship, one of the Australian
squadron, when she developed some defects in her hydraulic turning gear
and was ordered home to England by Admiral Lord George Howard for
overhaul. The captain's heart beat a little faster as he realized his
course would take him south of the Societies. He spread out the chart on
his cabin table and sighed as he laid his finger on Borabora. He shut
his eyes, and saw the basaltic cliffs, the white and foam