as ready, the _Lily_ was "boxing the
compass," having lost steerage-way altogether; so, as our big sails were
no use, we took them in and stowed them away, not knowing from whence or
how strong the breeze might next come.

We took a good look all round at the weather, and then left the _Lily_
to take care of herself, whilst we went below to our evening meal. This
over, we both went on deck again to smoke our pipes, and have a chat
until eight bells. It may be thought that two men situated as we were
would soon exhaust all available topics of conversation; but this was by
no means the case.

Bob, though he had no education but that pertaining to his profession,
was a profound thinker, and he often amused and sometimes startled me by
the originality of his remarks.

He had knocked about the world a good deal, and had the knack of not
only a quick observation, but also of being able to clearly and
accurately recall what he had seen, and the impressions thereby produced
upon himself.

He was expatiating, on this occasion, on the charms of nature, of which
he was an enthusiastic admirer, the subject having been suggested by the
beauty of the sunset which we had both been watching, and I was
thoroughly enjoying the rugged eloquence with which the scene had
inspired him, when we were startled by a long, low, wailing cry which
rang out upon the still air, apparently not half a dozen fathoms from
us, making our blood curdle and our hair stiffen with horror at its
unearthly and thrilling cadence.

We looked earnestly and eagerly in the direction from which the cry had
seemed to proceed, but nothing was visible in that or, indeed, in any
other direction.

The sun had set, and the grey of evening was deepening over the glassy
surface of the water; but there was still light enough reflected from
the sky to have enabled us to see any object within sight almost as
distinctly as in broad day, but not an object of any description could
we see, not even a solitary albatross.

We had carefully scanned, as far as was possible, the entire visible
surface of the ocean, and had turned inquiringly towards each other,
when once more rang out that mysterious cry, this time apparently close
under our stern.

We turned, unutterably horror-stricken, in that direction, but there was
_nothing_. Seamen are, as a rule, as brave as lions; but anything
mysterious and unaccountable completely cows them, and such, I confess,
was now the case