The _Halbrane_ was a schooner of three hundred tons, and a fast sailer. On board there was a captain, a mate, or lieutenant, a boatswain, a cook, and eight sailors; in all twelve men, a sufficient number to work the ship. Solidly built, copper-bottomed, very manageable, well suited for navigation between the fortieth and sixtieth parallels of south latitude, the _Halbrane_ was a credit to the ship-yards of Birkenhead. All this I learned from Atkins, who adorned his narrative with praise and admiration of its theme. Captain Len Guy, of Liverpool, was three-fifths owner of the vessel, which he had commanded for nearly six years. He traded in the southern seas of Africa and America, going from one group of islands to another and from continent to continent. His ship's company was but a dozen men, it is true, but she was used for the purposes of trade only; he would have required a more numerous crew, and all the implements, for taking seals and other amphibia. The _Halbrane_ was not defenceless, however; on the contrary, she was heavily armed, and this was well, for those southern seas were not too safe; they were frequented at that period by pirates, and on approaching the isles the _Halbrane_ was put into a condition to resist attack. Besides, the men always slept with one eye open. One morning--it was the 27th of August--I was roused out of my bed by the rough voice of the innkeeper and the tremendous thumps he gave my door. "Mr. Jeorling, are you awake?" "Of course I am, Atkins. How should I be otherwise, with all that noise going on? What's up?" "A ship six miles out in the offing, to the nor'east, steering for Christmas!" "Will it be the _Halbrane_?" "We shall know that in a short time, Mr. Jeorling. At any rate it is the first boat of the year, and we must give it a welcome." I dressed hurriedly and joined Atkins on the quay, where I found him in the midst of a group engaged in eager discussion. Atkins was indisputably the most considerable and considered man in the archipelago--consequently he secured the best listeners. The matter in dispute was whether the schooner in sight was or was not the _Halbrane_. The majority maintained that she was not, but Atkins was positive she was, although on this occasion he had only two backers. The dispute was carried on with warmth, the host of the Green Cormorant defending his view, and the dissentients maintaining that the fast-approaching schooner was either English or American, until she was near enough to hoist her flag and the Union Jack went fluttering up into the sky. Shortly after the _Halbrane_ lay at anchor in the middle of Christmas Harbour. [Illustration: The approach of the _Halbrane_.]