Captain Levee sailed at the time that he mentioned; I remained at anchor till the next morning, and then once more was running down the Irish Channel before a stiff breeze. I forgot to mention that while at Mr. Trevannion's I had looked at the address of the Catholic priest who had announced to me my release from prison, and had left copies of it, as well as of that of the lady at Paris, in the care of Mr. Trevannion. It was now cold, autumnal weather, and the Channel was but rough sailing-ground. During the first fortnight we were fortunate enough to make two recaptures of considerable value, which arrived safely in the Thames, after which we had a succession of gales front the southward, it being the time of the equinox, which drove us close to the sands of Yarmouth, and we even had difficulty in clearing them and getting into sea-room by standing to the eastward. The weather still continued very bad, and we were lying-to under storm sails for several days, and at last found ourselves a degree and a half to the northward, off the coast of Norfolk, when the weather moderated, and the wind changed to the northward. It was a fine clear night, but with no moon, and we were running before the wind to regain our cruising-ground; but the wind again shifted and baffled us, and at last it fell light, and, being on a wind, we did not make more than four miles an hour, although there was very little sea. About one o'clock in the morning, I had gone on deck, and was walking to and fro with the first officer, Mr. James, when I thought that I heard a faint hallo from to windward. "Stop," said I; "silence there forward." I listened, and thought that I heard the cry again. "Mr. James," said I, "did you not hear some one shout?" "No, Sir," replied he. "Wait, then, and listen." We did so, but I could not hear it repeated. "I am certain that I heard a voice as if on the waters," said I. "Perhaps some one has fallen overboard. Turn the hands up to muster, and haul the fore-sheet to windward." The men were mustered, but no one was missing. "It was your fancy, Sir," observed the first officer. "It may have been," replied I; "but I am still in my own mind persuaded that such was the case. Perhaps I was mistaken." "Shall we let draw the fore-sheet, Sir?" said Mr. James. "Yes, we may as well; but the wind is lighter than it was. I think we shall have a calm." "It will be as much as she can do to stem the tide and hold her own," observed Mr. James. "Let draw the fore-sheet, my lads." Somehow or another I had a feeling which I could not surmount, that I certainly had heard a faint shout, and although admitting such to be the case, there was little chance of being of service to any one, I felt a reluctance to leave the spot, and as I walked the deck silent and alone, this feeling became insurmountable.