The day dawned fresh and clear, with an almost cloudless sky, a moderate breeze from about West by South, and very little sea overrunning the long, regular Biscay swell; it was, in short, perfect Atlantic weather, and about as complete a contrast as could well be imagined to the conditions which had prevailed during our late experience in Audierne Bay. The weather being of so fine and settled a character, we had been carrying our royals all through the night; but shortly after the Captain made his appearance on deck, at eight bells in the morning watch, the breeze freshened up perceptibly; whereupon, a good offing having been secured, the word was given to clew up and furl all three royals; and a minute or two later the hands were aloft and out on the yards, rolling up the canvas. It was while they were thus engaged--the ship being at the time on the starboard tack, and consequently heading to the southward--that a hail came down simultaneously from the fore and main royal-yards to the effect that a couple of sail were in sight, broad on the lee-bow. To an inquiry on the part of the first lieutenant as to what they looked like, the answer was returned that it was impossible to say just then, as the strangers were so far away that, even from the lofty elevation of the observers, the heads of their royals were only just clear of the horizon. Mr Howard cast an inquiring eye about him, and his gaze fell upon me. "Mr Delamere," he said, "you have a good glass. Just jump below and get it, if you please, and then shin up as far as the main royal-yard and see what you can make out concerning those strangers." I did as directed, the hands who had been aloft meeting me in the maintop on their way down. "What do the strange craft look like, Simmons?" I asked of the smartest of the party. "Well, sir," he replied, "as we told Mr Howard, a few minutes ago, we can't make much out of 'em as yet; they'm too far off for that. But I've got pretty good eyes, Mr Delamere, and I think when you brings that glass o' yours to bear on 'em that you'll find one on 'em's got her r'yals stowed, while t'other has hers set. Likewise I've a sort of a notion that if you stays aloft for a matter o' ten minutes or so you'll find that there's three on 'em, instead o' two; at all events just as I was layin' 'im off the yard I thought I catched a glimpse of somethin' showin' now and again that looked like the canvas of another craft just liftin' over the 'orizon." "Thanks, Simmons," said I, "I'll keep a lookout for number three. If she really exists, she ought to declare herself unmistakably within the next few minutes. By the bye, I suppose they are heading this way?" "To the best o' my knowledge and belief they be, sir," the man answered. "We wasn't on the yard long enough to make exactly sure, but it seemed to me that, even durin' the minute or two that elapsed after we first catched sight of 'em, they lifted a bit."