blance to the Spanish brig that was
lying off Lobo's factory on the day of our first arrival in the Congo,"
said I; the happy idea suggesting itself to me, as I began to speak,
that I might safely make this statement without any breach of the truth,
all of us on board the _Barracouta_ having observed and remarked upon
the striking resemblance between the two craft.

"Um! it _may_ be so," muttered Mendouca, with a strong accent of doubt
in his voice, however. "Let me have another look at her."

I handed over the glass with alacrity, for it was about my last wish
just then to be questioned too closely as to the character of the
stranger; and Mendouca subjected her to a further long and exhaustive
scrutiny. At its termination he turned to me, and, with an accent of
unmistakable suspicion, inquired--

"It hasn't suggested itself to you, I suppose, that yonder craft may be
a British man-o'-war? You have seen nothing so like her in your own
squadron as to lead to the suspicion that she may be a dangerous enemy
whom I ought to be promptly warned to avoid?"

Now, had I not known that he had never seen the _Barracouta_, I should
have scarcely known what reply to give to this home question; as it was,
however, I answered at hazard--

"Well, at this distance yonder vessel offers to my eye very little
resemblance to the usual type of British gun-brig; she is longer, and
much lower in the water, and her masts are certainly further apart than
is the case with our brigs generally, you must see that for yourself;
and it would be unreasonable to expect me to give a more decided opinion
at this distance and in so vague a light."

"Will you swear to me that you are honestly of opinion that yon brig is
_not_ a man-o'-war?"

"Certainly not," answered I, with pretended annoyance at his
pertinacity. "She may be, or she may not be; it is quite impossible to
express a more decided opinion, under the circumstances, and I therefore
must decline to do so."

And I turned and walked away from him with an air of petulance.

Mendouca laid down the telescope, walked to the binnacle, and peered
intently for a moment at the compass.

"Keep her way two points more to the southward," he ordered the
helmsman.

This alteration in our course brought the brig about one point before
our beam, distant about two and a half miles, and if persisted in, would
soon have the effect of increasing the distance between the two craft;
and, unless we were