se off than we were before."

So saying, I dived below and got out a bottle of oil, through the cork
of which I bored three or four holes with a corkscrew, but left the cork
in. To the neck of the bottle I made fast the end of about a fathom of
marline, and then, going forward, I made fast the other end of the
marline to one of the links of the chain-cable by which we were riding
to our floating-anchor.

I then sung out to Bob to give her a few fathoms more chain, and as he
did so I hove the bottle overboard.

In about five minutes the success of my experiment became manifest. The
oil leaked slowly out through the holes I had bored in the cork, and,
diffusing itself on the surface of the water, caused the seas to sweep
by us either without breaking at all, or, if they _did_ break, it was
with such diminished force that no more water came on board.

I had heard of "oil on troubled waters" before, but at the time that I
did so I never expected to put its virtues to so thoroughly practical a
test.

We went below and got breakfast under weigh; and whilst discussing the
meal, our conversation naturally turned upon the appearance of the
_Albatross_.

"There can be no question, I fear, as to its being that scoundrel
Johnson and his gang of desperadoes," said I, half hoping to hear Bob
dispute the probability.

But he was quite of my opinion.

"No, no," said he, "that's the scamp, never a doubt of it. _I_ noticed
the name on his starn; but there warn't no name of a port where he hails
from, for the simple reason that he hails from nowhere in particular.
Besides, a man with half an eye could tell by looking at that craft that
she's strong-handed. Depend on't, Harry, there's too many hammocks in
her fo'c'stle for an honest trader. And, worst luck, she's bound the
same road as ourselves--at least, she's going round the Horn; but a'ter
she gets round it's not so easy to say what course she may steer. We
must hope she's on the look-out for some stray Spaniard or other coming
down the coast; for if we falls in with her ag'in, she'll have some'at
to say to us, mark my words."

"You surely do not suppose the man will condescend to give such a pigmy
as ourselves a thought, do you?"

"That's just what he's doing at this identical moment, it's my opinion,"
returned Bob. "He is not fool enough to suppose we're down here
somewheres off the Horn, in this cockle-shell, on a pleasure trip; and
that we're not come down here