The sound of the scrubbing-brushes, as they were set to work at four bells (six o'clock) next morning, awoke me; and, hastily donning such garments as were indispensable, I went on deck to take a look round. The easterly breeze, though it had proved somewhat fitful, had held with sufficient strength through the night to place us off Selsey Bill, with the high land of Saint Catherine's Point looming faintly ahead of us about two points on the starboard bow; and there, too, hauling up for the inside of the Wight, was our friend the schooner-yacht of the night before, some two miles inshore of us and about the same distance ahead. The mate was very busy with the hose, with which he was liberally sluicing the decks and bulwarks, to say nothing of the bare feet and legs of those of the crew who in their scrubbing operations happened to approach within range of him. Of the yacht's existence he was apparently quite oblivious; at all events, he carefully abstained from directing his glances in her direction. "Good morning, Mr Roberts," I exclaimed genially. "So you were unable to overtake the flyer yonder, after all." "Good morning, sir," he responded with equal geniality. "(Now then, you sodgers, stand clear of the hose if you don't want a ducking. Serve you right, Tom; you'll take warning, perhaps, the next time I give it you.) The flyer, sir? Oh, you mean the yacht. Well, of course, they have the pull of us in light weather, such as we've had through the night; but I'll bet my hat that neither yonder schooner nor e'er a yacht that now happens to be away there inside the island could look at us in a good, honest to'gallant breeze. You wait a bit, sir; the little hooker hasn't had a chance yet to show what she can do. But there's a breeze coming by-and-by, if I'm any judge of that sky away there to the east'ard; and then, after we've touched at Weymouth and hauled out again into the wake of that fleet astarn of us, you'll have a chance to judge of the _Esmeralda's_ paces when she lays herself out to travel. Now, boys, lay aft here with your squeegees, and give this poop a drying down!"