The Rover himself manifested more than usual satisfaction at this prospect of a capture.  He was quite aware of the necessity of some brilliant or of some profitable exploit, to curb the rising tempers of his men; and long experience had taught him that he could ever draw the cords of discipline the tightest in moments that appeared the most to require the exercise of his own high courage and consummate skill.  He walked forward, therefore, among his people, with a countenance that was no longer buried in reserve, speaking to several, whom he addressed by name, and of whom he did not even disdain to ask opinions concerning the character of the distant sail.  When a sort of implied assurance that their recent offences were overlooked had thus been given, he summoned Wilder, the General, and one or two others of the superior officers, to the poop, where they all disposed themselves, to make more particular and more certain observations, by the aid of a half-dozen excellent glasses.

Many minutes were now passed in silent and intense scrutiny.  The day was cloudless, the wind fresh, without being heavy, the sea long, even, and far from high, and, in short, all things combined, as far as is ever seen on the restless ocean, not only to aid their examination, but to favour those subsequent evolutions which each instant rendered more probable would become necessary.

“It is a ship!” exclaimed the Rover, lowering his glass, the first to proclaim the result of his long and close inspection.

“It is a ship!” echoed the General, across whose disciplined features a ray of something like animated satisfaction was making an effort to display itself.

“A full-rigged ship!” continued a third, relieving his eye in turn, and answering to the grim smile of the soldier.

“There must be something to hold up all those lofty spars,” resumed their Commander.  “A hull of price is beneath.—­But you say nothing, Mr Wilder!  You make her out”——­

“A ship of size,” returned our adventurer, who, though hitherto silent, had been far from the least interested in his investigations.  “Does my glass deceive me—­or”——­

“Or what, sir?”

“I see her to the heads of her courses.”

“You see her as I do.  It is a tall ship on an easy bow-line, with every thing set that will draw.  And she is standing hitherward.  Her lower sails have lifted within five minutes.”

“I thought as much.  But”——­

“But what, sir?  There can be little doubt but she is heading north-and-east.  Since she is so kind as to spare us the pains of a chase, we will not hurry our movements.  Let her come on.  How like you the manner of the stranger’s advance, General?”

“Unmilitary, but enticing!  There is a look of the mines about her very royals.”

“And you, gentlemen, do you also see the fashion of a galleon in her upper sails?”

“’Tis not unreasonable to believe it,” answered one of the inferiors.  “The Dons are said to run this passage often, in order to escape speaking us gentlemen, who sail with roving commissions.”