the mare's-tails that thickly overspread the blue, through
which the stars blinked dimly, and the moon, with a big halo round her,
poured her chastened radiance.

"By the powers," exclaimed Ryan, as we paced the deck together after the
operation of making sail had been completed--"By the powers, but that
dhrag of mine is a wondherful invention entirely! Do ye notice, Harry,
me bhoy, how it's modherated the little huzzy's paces? Bedad, she's
goin' along as sober as a Quaker girl to meetin' instead of waltzin'
away like a ballet-dancer! But wait until one of those light-heeled
picaroons comes along, and then won't we surprise thim above a bit! If
it's not blowing too hard when ye come on deck in the middle watch ye
may give her the stunsails; it'll look more ship-shape, and as if we
were in a hurry to make the coast and get our cargo aboard, if we happen
to be overhauled by anybody in the same line of business, and the deuce
of a fear have I now of outsailing any of them that may happen to be in
the neighbourhood. Keep a sharp look-out, Mr Pierrepoint, and if
anything heaves in sight, either ahead or astern, during your watch,
give me a call. I'm going below to turn in now."

I followed suit a minute or two later and, with my cabin-door wide open
to freely admit the cool, welcome breeze that poured down through the
open skylight, soon fell into a deep, refreshing sleep.

CHAPTER SIX.

A CAPTURE AND A CHASE.

When I went on deck at midnight I found that there was no occasion to
set the studding-sails, for the breeze had freshened to more than half a
gale, and the little hooker was staggering along before it and a
fast-rising sea at a tremendous pace--considering the drag--with her
royal clewed up and furled, and the gaff-topsail hauled down. Even thus
she was being greatly over-driven; so, as there was no need for _too
much_ hurry, and as the sky astern had a hard, windy look, I took in the
topgallant-sail, and hauled down and stowed the mainsail, letting her go
along easily and comfortably for the remainder of the night. I had half
a mind to further relieve her by getting the drag inboard, but did not
like to do so without first consulting Ryan--since the thing was of his
contrivance--so, as the matter was by no means sufficiently urgent to
justify me in disturbing him, I let it remain, and very glad was I
afterwards that I had done so; for when I went on deck again at seven
bells, there, away about a po