‘I can only see her top-sails, sir, she looms up like a large ship.’
The course of the brig was altered to one or two points more Southerly, and ere long the strange sail creeping up inch by inch in-the horizon was distinctly visible from the deck. She was evidently a barque of about five hundred tons burthen, and had the appearance of being an English merchantman.
‘Mr. Herbert,’ said the captain, ‘what do you make out of the sail yonder?’
‘A British barque, sir,’
‘No doubt, but do you think her armed?’
‘She’s lower in the waist than we are, sir, and yet I can’t justly make out the deck, sir,’ was the reply of the second officer.
‘Run up to the fore-top cross trees, sir, and take this glass with you.’
‘Ay ay, sir,’ said Herbert leaping up the rigging to get a better view of the stranger, who was now nearing them fast.
‘Fore-cross trees there,’ hailed Channing after allowing Herbert time to get a good look at the stranger.
‘Ay, ay, sir.’