"They do seem to be astir. That nearest man walks like Blodgett. Has the negro scared them all?" When, just after Mr. Cledd had spoken, Blodgett came aft, we were surprised; but he approached us with an air of suppressed excitement, which averted any reprimand Mr. Cledd may have had in mind. "If you please, sir," he said, "there's a sail to windward." "To windward? You're mistaken. You ought to call out if you see a sail, but it's just as well you didn't this time." Mr. Cledd turned his back on Blodgett after looking hard up the wind. "If you please, sir, I've got good eyes." Blodgett's manner was such that no one could be seriously offended by his persistence. "My eyes are good, too," Mr. Cledd replied rather sharply. "I see no sail." Nor did I. Blodgett leaned on the rail and stared into the darkness like a cat. "If you please, sir," he said, "I beg your pardon, but I _can_ see a sail." Now, for the first time I thought that I myself saw something moving. "I see a bank of fog blowing westward," I remarked, "but I don't think it's a sail." After a moment, Mr. Cledd spoke up frankly. "I'll take back what I've just said. I see it too. It's only a junk, but I suppose we'd better call the captain." "Only a junk!" Blodgett repeated sharply. "When last we saw 'em, a junk was all they had." "What's that?" Mr. Cledd demanded. "Ay, ay, sir, they was sailing away in a junk, sir." Mr. Cledd stepped to the companionway. "Captain Hamlin," he called. The junk was running free when we first sighted her, but just as she was passing astern of us, she began to come slowly about. I could see a great number of men swaying in unison against the helm that controlled the gigantic rudder. Others were bracing the curious old sails. "I wish she were near enough for us to watch them handle the sails on the after masts," I said. She had a pair of mizzen-masts, one on the larboard side, one on the starboard, and I was puzzled to know how they were used. "She'll pass close aboard on this next tack," Mr. Cledd replied. "I think we'll be able to see." He had paused to watch her manoeuvres. "Here's the doctor," Blodgett murmured. Black Frank was coming aft with a quick humpy walk. "'Scuse me, sah, 'scuse me!" he said. "But I's skeered that we--" Mr. Cledd now had gone to the companion. "Captain Hamlin," he called again, "there's a junk passing close aboard." I heard Roger's step on the companion-way. It later transpired that he had not heard the first summons. "Mah golly! Look dah!" the cook exclaimed. The junk was looming up dangerously. Mr. Cledd caught my arm. "Run forward quick--quick--call up all hands," he cried. Then raising the trumpet, "Half a dozen of you men loose the cannon."