The man, in his excitement, repeated the shout before he could be hailed from the deck. "Where away?" sang out the captain. "Two points on the weather-bow, sir," was the reply. That phrase about the "weather-bow" was a nautical fiction, for there was no wind to speak of, and what there was was nearly dead astern. "Keep her away two points," said Commander Neville; and the order was promptly obeyed. In a few seconds the news had spread through the ship, and the men clustered on the bulwarks, straining their eyes to get a glimpse of the stranger. Even the stokers, poor fellows, showed their sooty faces at the engine-room hatchway. Of course the stranger might be, and probably was, an innocent trader; but then she might be a slaver; and golden visions of prize-money floated before the eyes of every man and boy on board the Petrel. We did not steam very fast, as of course our supply of coal was limited; and it was about two hours before sundown when we fairly sighted the stranger. She was a long three-masted schooner, with tall raking masts, lying very low in the water. All her canvas was set; and as a little wind had sprung up, she was slipping through the water at a fair pace. "She looks for all the world like a slaver, sir," remarked Mr. Brabazon, the first lieutenant, to the commander. Neville said nothing, but his lips were firmly compressed, and a gleam of excitement was in his eyes. "Fire a blank cartridge, Mr. O'Riley," said he to the second lieutenant; "and signal her to ask her nationality and her code number." This was done; and in answer to the signal the schooner slowly hoisted the American colours. "She has eased away her sheets, and luffed a point or two, sir," said the quartermaster, touching his cap. The captain merely answered this by a nod. "Put a shot in your gun, Mr. O'Riley," said he. "Lower your hoist and make a fresh hoist demanding her name." This was done, but the American took no notice. "Fire a shot, Mr. O'Riley--wide, of course," said the commander. Again the deafening report of the big gun sounded in our ears; and we could see the splash of the shot as it struck the water about fifty yards from the schooner. Immediately a flag was run up, then another and another; and we saw that she was not giving us her code number, but was spelling out her name, letter by letter--The Black Swan. "Just look that up in the United States Merchant Registry," said the captain to the first lieutenant. And in half a minute he had reported--"No such name, sir." This was something more than suspicious. And the wind was rising.