irst fly that presented itself;
kissed her a dozen times; said good-bye hurriedly, and tore myself away;
springing hastily into the stern-sheets of the gig with a final wave of
the hand as the dear soul drove away.

"Give way, men!" I exclaimed huskily; "the breeze is freshening fast,
and I care not how soon we are once more on board the _Esmeralda_!"

The breeze was indeed freshening fast; the thick weather had crept down
the coast until the high land about the Burning Cliff was only dimly
visible; and as we dashed out past the end of the pier, the water in the
bay was all flecked with white. The _Esmeralda_, with royals clewed up,
was halfway across toward Portland Roads; but Roberts was evidently
keeping a sharp lookout, for, judging it to be about time for us to make
our appearance, he had already filled on the ship, and as we rounded the
buoy marking the extremity of the reef on the south side of the harbour,
we saw her fly up into the wind and tack with a rapidity which I had
certainly never before witnessed in a square-rigged ship. The little
beauty worked "as quick as they could swing the yards," as the stroke
oarsman remarked enthusiastically. We paddled gently ahead, leaving to
those on board the task of picking us up; and very neatly and smartly
was it done too, the barque keeping a rap full, and tearing through the
water like a racer, until exactly the right moment, when she flew up
head to wind, shooting into the wind's eye in magnificent style, ranging
up alongside us in the boat and picking us up while still in stays, then
paying off again on the other tack almost before the tackles were hooked
on. Another minute and the gig was once more at the davits; and the
_Esmeralda_, on a taut bowline, and with her royal yards again
mast-headed, was rushing away at a perfectly bewildering pace, on a
course that would enable her to just handsomely weather the outer end of
Portland breakwater, if the little witch continued to eat into the wind
as she was then doing. Roberts was evidently in ecstasies at the ship's
behaviour; his flushed cheek, his sparkling eye, and his quick, restless
movements told me that; but he would have bitten his tongue out, rather
than have suffered himself to be betrayed into any remarks which could
possibly be construed into "fishing for a compliment;" and it was truly
amusing to watch the heroic efforts he made to simulate a cool and
indifferent demeanour. But it was plain enough t