"'No. 20,' read he, 'what does that mean?' 'The twentieth bottle launched, perhaps,' said I, and he went on--'For God's sake, if you find this, keep to the south-west--we are going that way, we think--we've fallen amongst regular Thugs, I fear--just from the folly of these three griffins--(they're looking over my shoulder, though)--we are not ill-treated yet, but kept below and watched--yours in haste----' 'What this signature is I can't say for the life of me, Ned; no date either.' 'Did the fellow think he was writing by post, I wonder?' said I, trying to make it out. 'By the powers, Westwood, though,' and I jumped up, 'that bottle _might_ have come from the Pacific, 'tis true--but what if it were old Rollock, after all! _Thugs_, did you say? Why, I shouldn't wonder if the jolly old planter were on the hooks still. _That_ rascally brig!' And accordingly, on trying the scrawl at the end, over and over, we both agreed that it was nothing but 'T. ROLLOCK.'" CHAPTER XI The next evening our friend the captain found his fair audience by the taffrail increased to a round dozen, while several of the gentlemen passengers lounged near, and the chief officer divided his attention between the gay group of ladies below and the "fanning" main-topsail high up, with its corresponding studding-sail hung far out aloft to the breeze; the narrative having by this time contracted a sort of professional interest, even to his matter-of-fact taste, which enabled him to enjoy greatly the occasional glances of sly humour directed to him by his superior, for whom he evidently entertained a kind of admiring respect, that seemed to be enhanced as he listened. As for the commander himself, he related the adventures in question with a spirit and vividness of manner that contributed to them no small charm; amusingly contrasted with the cool, dry, indifferent sort of gravity of countenance amidst which the keen grey seawardly eye, under the peak of the naval cap, kept changing and twinkling as it seemed to run through the experience of youth again--sometimes almost approaching to an undeniable wink. The expression of it at this time, however, was more serious, while it appeared to run along the dotted reef-band of the mizzen-topsail above, as across the entry in a log-book, and as if there were something interesting to come. "_Well_, my dear captain," asked his matronly relative, "what comes next? You and your friend had picked up a--a--what was it _now_!"