aft now rapidly grew more lively; she heeled still more steeply under
the pressure of the wind; the splash and rush of water alongside grew
momentarily more confused; bulkheads began to creak, and cabin-doors to
jar and rattle upon their hooks; the two people overhead began to pace
the deck to and fro; the wind whistled and blustered with increasing
loudness through the rigging; and as the craft plunged more sharply I
caught the sound of an occasional clatter of spray upon the deck
forward. This went on for some considerable time, and then I became
aware of the sound of surf booming distantly, but rapidly increasing in
strength and volume, until after a period of perhaps ten minutes its
thunder seemed to suddenly fill the air, as the brigantine brought it
square abeam; then it rapidly died away again until it was lost
altogether in the tumult of wind and sea that now stormed about the
vessel, and I knew that we had passed close to either Shark or French
Point, and were fairly at sea. This conviction was confirmed a few
minutes later by the descent of some one--presumably the captain--into
the cabin, where, as I could tell by the clink of bottle and glass and
the gurgle of fluids, he mixed and tossed off a glass of grog, after
which he retired to a state-room on the opposite side of the cabin and
closed the door. Then, lulled by the motion of the ship and the sound
of the wind and sea, I gradually sank into a feverish sleep, from which
I did not fairly awake until the sun was streaming strongly in through
the glazed scuttle of my state-room next morning.

Shortly afterwards Pedro entered and bade me good-morning with a cheery
smile.

"You are looking better, senor," he remarked; "your eyes are brighter,
and there is more colour in your face. I hope you were not greatly
disturbed last night by the noise of getting the ship under weigh?"

"Not at all," I answered; "on the contrary, I did not awake until you
were clear of your moorings and passing down the creek. I remained
awake until the ship seemed to be fairly at sea, and then I went to
sleep again. I suppose we are out of sight of land by this time?"

"Yes, thanks be to the blessed Virgin! And I hope we shall see no more
until we make Anegada," was the reply.

"Anegada?" I queried. "Where is that?"

"What!" exclaimed Pedro, "do you not know Anegada? Then you have never
been to the West Indies?"

"That is very true," I admitted. "I have never been to t