Summers had not assumed his station for many minutes before he was
peremptorily ordered, (as we have above recorded,) to look out for sails
as well as for rocks, which caused the sailor who stood upon the other
end of the cross-trees, and who was on regular mast-head duty, thus to
address the third officer,--

'Do you suppose, Mr. Summers, that our captain really expects to fall in
with a sail in this out-o'-the-way kind of spot?'

'Of course he does,' replied Summers, 'or he wouldn't have told me to
look out for one. But why shouldn't a sail be seen here, Bill, as well
as anywhere else?'

'Well, I can't exactly say, sir,' answered Bill, (who, by the way, was a
fine specimen of a rough and rugged old tar,) 'but I have understood
that ships in general have of late years given this little bit of an
island a wide berth.'

'Did ever you hear the reason why?' asked Summers.

'Yes, sir, more than forty times, and if my watch wasn't almost out I
could spin you a yarn as long as our main-top bowline about the
"reason," as you call it.'

Smiling at the seriousness with which the old tar had spoken, the
officer replied,

'O never mind the yarn now, Bill, nor the reason either, but look sharp
there, about three points off our bow, and see if you cannot catch a
glimpse of something high and white, like a sail: I believe I can.'