those fellows find
their fish in such high latitudes."

"There," said Captain Hughes, for it was indeed he who was the
"Halcyon's" solitary passenger. "There--she fills."

"You have a quick eye for a soldier," exclaimed Captain Weber. "Yonder
ship has indeed filled as you call it; but allow me to tell you, as a
general rule, that square-rigged craft brace-up, while fore-and-aft
vessels fill, as they have no yards to brace-up."

"That's logical, at all events," answered the soldier.

"Ay, and it's seamanlike," replied Captain Weber. "Fore-and-aft
vessels, when hauling to the wind, get a pull at the sheets, so as to
get their sails to set flatter; but you are not absolutely wrong, for,
after lying to, both square-rigged and fore-and-aft vessels may be said
to fill and make sail. Correctly speaking, yonder whaler has braced up
her yards."

"We shall near her rapidly then?" inquired the soldier.

"We are running on two converging lines, which at a given point must
meet, and if yonder craft wishes to speak us, she will have it in her
power to do so," replied the precise old man. "Here's the steward to
announce dinner. The wind seems falling, Mr Blount. Shake out the
reefs in our topsails, and join us. Come, Captain Hughes, if your
appetite is as sharp as your eyes, you won't be sorry to go below."

The momentary bustle consequent on the making sail followed; the deck
was then handed over to the second mate, Mr Lowe (for Captain Weber,
contrary to the usual rules of the merchant service, had a first and
second mate), and all relapsed into the usual silence; the soughing of
the wind through the spars and rigging, and the splash of the waves as
they struck against the brig's bows, alone breaking the silence. The
stars peeped out, the wind falling with the setting sun, while, as the
brig was running free, the motion was slight. Now and then the ship's
bell rang out on the still night air, marking the passing hours, and the
monotonous tread of the officer in charge as he paced the deck, with
occasionally a loud laugh from the men forward, was heard.

Mr Lowe's watch was just ending, and the clear silver tones of the bell
had rang out eight times, when the first mate stopped in his walk,
looking at the binnacle light, "Have you remarked that red star yonder,
Mr Lowe?" asked the old salt at the helm.

"No, Adams; what do you make of it?" replied the officer, turning
towards the point indicated.

"Leastways, I