'The lady and gentleman are going aboard their schooner! See their boat all ready!'
Then, springing on to the rail with wonderful activity, she hailed the Mowbray, and asked Captain Glew for his latitude and longitude. This she received, and entered upon a piece of paper with a face of triumph. Then, turning to Mr. Vanderholt, she exclaimed:
'See here, sir! A mile out, and the error may be his.'
'I am lost in admiration, I assure you,' said Vanderholt. 'I would rather have met this barque than the Flying Dutchman. It will be far more interesting to me to talk about than an apparition. It is really, captain, an extraordinary departure! I wish you prosperity, I am sure, ma'am.'
He bowed low. The captain of the Wife's Hope then shook hands cordially with Miss Vanderholt. Tweed got into the boat, and the party returned to the Mowbray. Just before sunset a breeze came right along the red, shortening shaft of glory, as though it blew out of the sun. Both vessels immediately trimmed for their respective courses, and in an hour's time the Wife's Hope had vanished in the starlit dusk of the evening.
CHAPTER V. ON THE EVE.
It was five days later, and in that time the Mowbray had drawn four hundred miles closer to the Equator, still leaving a wide expanse of water to be measured. The weather had been of a constant tropic beauty. The heave of the Atlantic swell had the wide and solemn indolence of the South Pacific fold.