During all this long, weary time of watching, hoping, and predicting evil, we came to know what a gallant craft was ours.
There was ample opportunity to test her sailing qualities under every condition of weather, and never a man on board who did not come to believe she could overhaul or show her heels to anything afloat.
We skirted along the coast of Portugal, passing the island of St. Michael on the fifth of October, and yet not until a full month later, that is to say, on the sixth day of November, did we sight another craft flying the cross of St. George.
During all this time our croakers had kept their tongues wagging industriously, declaring that the next time we saw the British flag it would be at the topmast head of an English ship of the line, which would speedily verify the predictions represented by the faulty topmast.
It was as if we had been at sea half a lifetime when the lookout reported a brig-rigged craft to windward, and after she was brought into view of us on deck we knew beyond question that we had almost within our clutches another British craft.
The cruise did not bid fair to be what is known as a “lucky” one if the game was to be found so few and far between; but we were ready to welcome anything that might break the monotony, even though it should be a Britisher that far out-classed us.
A little fighting then, with some blood-letting, would have been good medicine for those who were grown mutinous once more, and I fancied, from what could be told by the expression on the faces of the officers, that a regular battle, providing we might get the best of it, would be welcomed, even though there were no dollars to be gained.
We were not to overhaul this second Britisher without some labour, as we soon came to understand, for the brig was a smart sailer, and more than once before she was brought to did it appear as if she might succeed in giving us the slip, despite the good qualities of our ship.
From ten o’clock in the forenoon until nearly daybreak next morning, we staggered on under full press of canvas, not gaining more than two miles in all that time, and then Master Josh began to breed discontent by declaring that we were astern of no less a craft than the Flying Dutchman herself.
“We’ll board her even if she’s full to the scuppers with ghosts,” the boatswain said, smiting his thigh with his hand as if bent on splintering the bone. “We’ve had enough of signs an’ tokens since this ’ere cruise began, an’ I’m comin’ to believe that our ill luck is caused by it. I’m not settin’ myself up to put this whole ship’s company into proper trim; but this much I’ll swear to, the next man who begins to croak about what’s goin’ to happen jest because a cross-grained timber went adrift in a gale, will come mighty nigh havin’ to settle the question once an’ for all with me. I’m not a fightin’ man naturally, neither am I willin’ to hear so much chin over nothin’ more’n might have been expected.”