ails, from the royals down. And truly, prepared as I was for
a somewhat out-of-the-way performance on the part of the little craft, I
was astounded at the ease and rapidity with which she overtook and
passed everything near her. The schooner-yacht had managed to slink
away to a distance of some three miles from us during our short
detention while landing the pilot, and by the time that my passengers
had said "good night" and retired to their cabins she was the only craft
ahead of us; and we had been gaining on her fast until her people,
noticing this fact, had begun to pack sail upon her; and now there she
was, straight ahead of us, with her mainsheet eased well off, a gigantic
balloon topsail over her huge mainsail, and an immense square-sail set
forward, with all her larboard studding-sails spread, skimming away
swiftly and easily as a wreath of summer mist over the smooth surface of
the Channel waters. I remained on deck until midnight, when, giving the
second mate a word of caution not to carry his canvas too long in the
event of the breeze freshening--which, however, it gave no indication of
doing--I retired below and turned in with the gratifying feeling that I
was now my own master; that I was working for myself, and should
henceforth reap the direct benefit of my own labour and skill--such as
the latter might be; that, in fact, my fortune was in my own hands, to
make or mar; as it is in the hands of every young man.

The sound of the scrubbing-brushes, as they were set to work at four
bells (six o'clock) next morning, awoke me; and, hastily donning such
garments as were indispensable, I went on deck to take a look round.
The easterly breeze, though it had proved somewhat fitful, had held with
sufficient strength through the night to place us off Selsey Bill, with
the high land of Saint Catherine's Point looming faintly ahead of us
about two points on the starboard bow; and there, too, hauling up for
the inside of the Wight, was our friend the schooner-yacht of the night
before, some two miles inshore of us and about the same distance ahead.
The mate was very busy with the hose, with which he was liberally
sluicing the decks and bulwarks, to say nothing of the bare feet and
legs of those of the crew who in their scrubbing operations happened to
approach within range of him. Of the yacht's existence he was
apparently quite oblivious; at all events, he carefully abstained from
directing his glances in her direct