In about ten minutes Captain Ezra picked up the glass again. "Hello!" he said. "By Dondy! they've lowered away a boat, an' they are rowin' off as if to meet us. Wonder what's the row?" A tiny speck could be seen with the naked eye, making out from the stretch of quiet water. The crew of the _Blazing Star_ had sighted her also, and at the prospect of something unusual to break the monotony, had lined the bulwarks. Suddenly as the boat lifted into the sunlight on the top of a wave, there came a flash and a glint of some bright metal. In a few minutes it showed again. Captain Ezra picked up the glass. "By gum!" he exclaimed; "that boat's chuck full of men all armed. What in the name of Tophet can it mean?" "Dunno--I'd keep off a little," suggested Captain Dewey. The helmsman gave the old creaking wheel a spoke or two in response to the Captain's order. "She's baound to meet us anyhow," put in the lanky skipper. "What had we better dew?" "Got any arms on board?" inquired Dewey. "Look suspicshus. Think I's better be gettin' back to my old hooker," he added half to himself. Amos Jordan, the first mate, was standing close by. "I reckon we've got some few," he said. "Git 'em aout," ordered the Captain, laconically; "and, Cap'n Sam, you stay here with us, won't ye?" Amos started forward. In a few minutes he had produced four old muskets, and a half-dozen rusty cutlasses. But there were deadlier weapons yet on board, of which there were a plenty. Keen-pointed lances, that had done to death many a great whale; and harpoons, with slender shanks and heads sharp as razors. And there were strong arms which knew well how to use them. The Captain went into the cabin and came back with three great, clumsy pistols. One he slipped under his long-tailed coat, and the two others he gave to Captain Dewey and Amos Jordan. There were twenty men in the _Blazing Star's_ own crew. The visitors from the old whaler added five more, and with the three mates and the two captains, five more again. In all there were thirty men prepared to receive the mysterious rowboat, and receive her warmly should anything be belligerent in her mission. "I dunno what they want," said Captain Ezra; "but to my mind it don't look right." "Jesso, jesso," assented Captain Samuel.