The intense
expectation, not to say anxiety, of such a scene, is not easily
described. The surrounding fog, at times, seemed filled with ships;
but all vanished into _thick_ air, one after another, leaving
nothing but vapour. Severe orders had been given for no one to call
out, but, the moment the ship was seen, for the discoverer to go aft
and report. At least a dozen men left their quarters on this errand,
all returning in the next instant, satisfied they had been
deceived. Each moment, too, increased the expectation; for each moment
must we be getting nearer and nearer to her, if any vessel were really
there. Quite twenty minutes, however, passed in this manner, and no
ship was seen. Marble continued cool and confident, but the captain
and second-mate smiled, while the people began to shake their heads,
and roll the tobacco into their cheeks. As we advanced, our own ship
luffed by degrees, until we had got fairly on our old course again, or
were sailing close upon the wind. This change was made easily, the
braces not having been touched; a precaution that was taken expressly
to give us this advantage. When we found ourselves once more close
upon the wind, we gave the matter up forward, supposing the mate had
been deceived. I saw by the expression of the captain's face that he
was about to give the order to secure the guns, when, casting my eyes
forward, there was a ship, sure enough, within a hundred yards of us!
I held up both arms, as I looked aft, and luckily caught the captain's
eye.
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