'Mr. Howe, that strange vessel must be a pirate.'

'What makes you think so, sir?' asked the first lieutenant.

'Because,' replied the Captain, 'if she was anything else she would not
be steering directly for us with studding-sails set.'

'Perhaps it may be some vessel in distress,' suggested the lieutenant.

'That may be the case, though I doubt it much,' answered the captain,
abruptly, 'but, as I do not wish to create a premature and unnecessary
alarm amongst the passengers, we will put the ship on the opposite tack,
and then if this stranger is in distress he will show a signal.'

In accordance with the above decision of her commander, the Gladiator,
which had been previously standing off from the land, was, (to use a
nautical phrase,) immediately put about, which caused her to head in
towards the land, and this movement brought the strange brig on the
weather quarter, or nearly astern of the ship, and also made her visible
to the first lieutenant, who stood eagerly watching for her appearance,
on the Gladiator's deck. As soon as he felt sure that his eyes had not
deceived him, he said, addressing the captain,

'There she is, sir.'

'Where?' exclaimed Rowland, eagerly, snatching his spy-glass from its
place in the cabin gangway.

'She is in plain sight, sir,' answered the lieutenant, about one point