already seen, rendered it quite possible that we
might slip past unobserved, our spars standing naked to the dark sky,
and our hull lying low upon the equally dark water. There was, however,
the hope that, even at the distance separating the two vessels, the roll
and grinding of the heavy sweeps would be heard in the perfect stillness
of air and water; and I felt confident that, if yonder brig were indeed
the _Barracouta_, and the sounds referred to extended so far as to reach
the sharp ears on board her, they would be identified, and their
significance at once understood. But even as the thought passed through
my mind it seemed to have also occurred to Mendouca; for he strode
toward the waist and exclaimed in a low, clear voice that was distinctly
audible fore and aft, but which would probably not have been audible
half a cable's length away--

"Let those niggers knock off sweeping for the present, and send them
below. And as soon as they are there and you have clapped the hatches
on--noiselessly, mind--let all hands set to work to muffle the sweeps
with mats, old canvas, pads of oakum, or anything else that you can lay
your hands upon. It is unfortunate that this was not thought of before;
but it may not yet be too late."

The negroes, grateful for this unexpected respite from their exhausting
toil, and of course quite ignorant as to its cause, gladly tumbled
below, and the gratings were carefully secured over them. Meanwhile the
boatswain, with one hand, dived below, and in a short time the two men
re-appeared with a load of miscellaneous stuff and some balls of
spun-yarn; and all hands went diligently to work under Mendouca's
personal supervision, to muffle the sweeps, which was so effectually
done that when, half-an-hour later, they were again manned, they worked
with scarcely a sound beyond the rather heavy splash of their blades in
the water. Meanwhile, during the progress of the muffling process--in
which I had not offered to participate--I kept a keen watch upon the
distant brig, taking an occasional squint at her through the night-glass
when I thought it possible to do so without attracting Mendouca's
attention. I do not quite know what I expected to see, for of course I
knew perfectly well that every eye in the brig might be steadfastly
watching us, without our being able to detect any sign of such scrutiny;
and I was moreover fully aware that should we have been discovered, and
our character suspect