"Faith, I wonder whether we ever shall catch one of those rascals," exclaimed Desmond, beginning to lose patience when, after three days at sea, not a single dhow had been caught sight of. "No fear, Gerald," observed Archie; "they'll be dropping into our jaws before long if we keep them wide enough open." At night the boat was sometimes hove-to, or when the wind was light kept slowly gliding on over the calm surface of the deep. One night Archie Gordon had the middle watch. Scarce a breath filled the sails; the ocean was like glass; not a cloud dimmed the sky, from which the stars shone forth with a brilliancy which afforded light almost equal to that of the full moon; every star, reflected in the mirror-like deep, gave it the appearance of being spangled and streaked with gold. Suddenly there burst forth over the land so vivid a flash of lightning that rocks and trees and the distant hills for a moment stood out in such bold relief, that Archie could not help fancying that the boat had been carried by some unknown current close to the beach. With a cry of surprise he aroused his companions. "Is anything the matter?" asked Adair, starting up. "Arrah, what's in the wind now?" exclaimed Gerald, echoing the question. "The whole country seems on fire," answered Archie. "I can by no means make it out." As he spoke, another flash lighted up, as brilliantly as during the brightest sunshine, the distant hills and wide expanse of ocean. The flashes continued bursting forth in rapid succession, lasting fully ten seconds, with even a less interval between them. Not the slightest sound of distant thunder was heard; silence reigned over the ocean. Even the men, who had roused up their companions to gaze at the wondrous spectacle, uttered not a word. A slight flapping of the sail against the mast, as a catspaw caught it, or an increased ripple of the water against the bows, alone struck the ear. These brilliant phenomena lasted the greater part of the night. "It's very fine," exclaimed Jerry Bird at last; "but to my mind a sound snooze is more to the purpose than straining our eyes out by winking at it, seeing we can't say what work may be cut out for us to-morrow; and so I'm going to turn in." His example was followed by the rest of the watch below, though the more sentimental of the officers continued gazing at it for some time longer. Adair wished that Lucy Rogers could enjoy it with him. "I say, Archie, wouldn't Mr Mildmay now be after writing a splendiferous sonnet if he was here?" whispered Desmond. "Can't you try your hand, Gerald?" said Archie. "Not I; I'm no poet. I can make a very good line to begin with, but when I come to the second, I can never manage to fit the words in properly." "Just try now," said Archie. Thus encouraged, Desmond at length exclaimed-- "`The lightnings flashing o'er the boundless deep--'" "Very good," said Archie.