of hills to throw her into shadow. Spike ordered
everything taken in but the trysail, under which the
brig was left to set slowly over toward the western
side of the harbour. He now rubbed his hands
with delight, and pointed out to Mulford the circumstance
that the steamer kept on her course directly athwart
the harbour’s mouth! Had she seen the Swash,
no doubt she would have turned into the bay also.
Nevertheless, an anxious ten minutes succeeded, during
which the revenue vessel steamed fairly past, and
shut in her flaming chimneys again by the eastern headlands
of the estuary.
The western wave was all a flame,
The day was well nigh done,
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright sun;
When that strange ship drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the sun.
The Ancient Mariner.
At that hour, on the succeeding morning, when the
light of day is just beginning to chase away the shadows
of night, the Molly Swash became visible within the
gloom of the high land which surrounds so much of
the bay of Hempstead, under easy sail, backing and
filling, in order to keep within her hiding-place,
until a look could be had at the state of things without.
Half an hour later, she was so near the entrance of
the estuary, as to enable the look-outs aloft to ascertain
that the coast was clear, when Spike ordered the helm
to be put up, and the brig to be kept away to her
course. At this precise moment, Rose appeared
on deck, refreshed by the sleep of a quiet night;
and with cheeks tinged with a colour even more delicate
than that which was now glowing in the eastern sky,
and which was almost as brilliant.
“We stopped in this bit of a harbour for the
night, Miss Rose, that is all;” said Spike,
observing that his fair passenger was looking about
her, in some little surprise, at finding the vessel
so near the land, and seemingly so much out of her
proper position. “Yes, we always do that,
when we first start on a v’y’ge, and before
the brig gets used to travelling—do n’t
we, Mr. Mulford?”
Mr. Mulford, who knew how hopeless was the attempt
to mystify Rose, as one might mystify her credulous
and weak-minded aunt, and who had no disposition to
deal any way but fairly by the beautiful, and in one
sense now helpless young creature before him, did not
see fit to make any reply. Offend Spike he did
not dare to do, more especially under present circumstances;
and mislead Rose he would not do. He affected
not to hear the question, therefore, but issuing an
order about the head-sails, he walked forward as if
to see it executed. Rose herself was not under
as much restraint as the young mate.
“It is convenient, Captain Spike,” she
coolly answered for Mulford, “to have stopping-places,
for vessels that are wearied, and I remember the time
when my uncle used to tell me of such matters, very
much in the same vein; but, it was before I was twelve
years old.”
