He ordered the officer of the watch to keep the ship as close to the wind as possible. He should like to examine it if he could.
The master represented, respectfully, that it would be unadvisable to beat to windward for that. “I have no faith in our chronometers, sir, and it is important to make the island before dark; fogs rise here so suddenly.”
“Very well, Mr. Bolt; then I suppose we must let the raft go.”
“MAN ON THE RAFT TO WINDWARD!” hailed the signalman.
This electrified the ship. The captain ran up the mizzen rigging, and scanned the raft, now nearly abeam.
“It IS a man!” he cried, and was about to alter the ship's course when, at that moment, the signalman hailed again,—
“IT IS A CORPSE.”
“How d'ye know?”
“By the gulls.”
Then succeeded an exciting dialogue between the captain and the master, who, being in his department, was very firm; and went so far as to say he would not answer for the safety of the ship, if they did not sight the land before dark.