The mate shook his head; he had contrived to persuade the poor man we were far homeward bound. 'If you'd only get the pilot aboard, Mr Macleod,' the captain went on, 'I'd die contented; but mind the charts--mind the charts--I've got the charts to mind for another sort of voyage myself, James!' 'Hoot, hoot, captain!' said the Scotchman, 'what sets ye for to talk after that fashion--you'll be up an' about decks directly, sir! What were ye saying about top-m'sts now, sir?' Captain Williamson gave the second mate a glance that looked into him, and he held down his head, for the man evidently believed fully, as none of us could help doing, that there was death on the captain's face. "'James, James!' said the captain, slowly, 'you've no notion how some things weigh on the mind at a pass of this kind! Other things one don't remember--but there's one in particular, almost as it were yesterday--why, surely you were with me that voyage, Mr Macleod! when I let some o' the passengers take a boat in a calm, and all----' Here he stopped, seemingly overcome. 'There was one young creature amongst 'em,' he went on, 'the age of my own girl, Macleod--my own little Nan, you know--and now--now I miss _her_--and, and----' The poor man gave a great gulp, clutching the mate's arm, and gazing him in the face. 'Wasn't it a long time ago?' said he, very anxiously; 'if it wasn't, I would go mad! They were all drowned--drowned--I _see_ that black squall coming down on the swell _now_, man, and the brig, and all of us looking out to the wind'ard!' 'I mind something about it,' replied Macleod, stoutly, though he looked away: ''twas none o' your fault, though, Captain Williamson--they were just _fey_, sir; and more than that, if ye mind, sir, they took the boat again' all orders--on the sly, I may say.' "Westwood was on the point of starting forward to make known how the case stood, on the strength of our finding the paper in the bottle, when I pressed his arm, and whispered that it could only make things worse, and cheat the sick man of a notion more likely to do him good than otherwise. 'It's a heavy charge, Mr Macleod, a heavy charge!' said he, falling back again; 'and one Mr Brown needn't envy.' 'Mr _Finch_, sir, ye mind,' put in the second mate, setting him right; 'but keep up your heart, sir, for any sake!' 'I feel I'll last over the time o' next full tide,' said the captain, solemnly. 'I don't want to know how far we're off, only if there's any chance at all, Macleod, you won't spare canvas to carry her in.'