d upon certain data which had
presented themselves to his mind. On reflection, he came to the
conclusion that the presence of the sea-chest upon the bosom of the blue
water was no accidental circumstance, but a design,--the design of
little William.

"I be sure o't, Snowy," said he; "the lad ha' chucked the kit overboard,
knowin' as how we mout overhaul it, when we could not come up wi' the
_Catamaran_. The chest war amidships, when I parted from it. It
couldn't a' got into the water o' itself no-howsomever; besides, it war
full o' heavy things, and now I'm sartin it be empty,--else how do it
float so? Sure he must a' whammelled it upside down, and spilled out
the things afore he pitched it overboard. It was thoughtful o' him; but
he be just the one for that. I've seed him do some'at similar afore.
Only think o' the dear boy!"

And Ben, after this burst of enthusiasm, for a moment indulged his
admiration in silence.

"Dat's all berry likely,--berry likely," was the rejoinder of the
Coromantee.

"I know what he did next," said Ben, continuing the thread of his
conjectures.

"Wha' you tink, Massa Brace?"

"He tuk in sail. I don't know why he didn't do it sooner; for I called
to him to do that, an' he must ha' heerd me. I've jest got a idea that
the fault was not his'n. When I hauled up that bit o' canvas, I've a
sort o' recollection o' puttin' a ugly knot on the haulyards. Maybe he
warn't able, wi' his little bits o' digits, to get the snarl clear, as
fast as mout a' been wished; an' that'll explain the whole thing.
Sartin he got down the sail at last,--eyther by loosin' the belay, or
cuttin' the piece o' rope, and that's why there be no canvas in sight.
For all that, the _Catamaran_ can't be so fur off. She hadn't had time
to a' drifted to such a great distance,--'specially if the sail were got
down the time as we missed it."

"Dat am true. I miss de sail all ob a sudden,--jess as if it had come
down, yard an' all, straight slap bang."

"Well, then, Snowy," continued the sailor, in a tone of increased
cheerfulness, "if't be as we conjecture, the craft ain't far ahead o' us
yet. Maybe only a knot or two; for one can't see far over the water who
happens to be neck-deep under it as we be. In any case she be sure to
be lying to leuart o' us; and, without the sail, she won't drift faster
than we can swim, nor yet so fast. Let us do the best we can to make a
mile or two's leeway; an' then we'll know w