"Humke, you're on the wrong track!" for I noticed high up above the horizon a faint white light which stood too high, judging by its strength, to be a ship's light.
The boatswain stolidly maintained his opinion, however.
"Cap'n, that there ain't no star."
I handed him the glasses which he, however, put aside at once, remarking:
"Ye can't see nothink properly with them things."
He shut his eyes tightly, then took another sharp look and said in decided tones:
"That ain't no star; that be a light!"
We stared before us with increased sharpness till I was able at last to make out through the glasses a red glow which now became visible to the right of the white light. Now we knew that a steamer was approaching us.
At first I held her to be a small vessel, particularly as, to begin with, the height of the two lights differed but slightly—the red port light of the steamer was not much below the white light.
But soon I was surprised to observe how noticeably the red light moved, that is to say, how quickly the space between the two lights appeared to increase.