round as a barrel, and wish to be thought genteel and slender; but
he went below, in quest of Josh, without making any reply.

The succeeding movements of Spike appeared to be much influenced by
what he had just heard. He kept the brig under short canvas for near
two hours, sheering about in the same place, taking care to tell
everything which spoke him that he had lost a man overboard. In this
way, not only the tide, but the day itself, was nearly spent. About
the time the former began to lose its strength, however, the
fore-course and the main-sail were got on the brigantine, with the
intention of working her up toward Whitestone, where the tides meet,
and near which the revenue-steamer was known to be anchored. We say
near, though it was, in fact, a mile or two more to the eastward,
and close to the extremity of the Point.

Notwithstanding these demonstrations of a wish to work to windward,
Spike was really in no hurry. He had made up his mind to pass the
steamer in the dark, if possible, and the night promised to favour
him; but, in order to do this, it might be necessary not to come in
sight of her at all; or, at least, not until the obscurity should in
some measure conceal his rig and character. In consequence of this
plan, the Swash made no great progress, even after she had got sail
on her, on her old course. The wind lessened, too, after the sun
went down, though it still hung to the eastward, or nearly ahead. As
the tide gradually lost its force, moreover, the set to windward
became less and less, until it finally disappeared altogether.

There is necessarily a short reach in this passage, where it is
always slack water, so far as current is concerned. This is
precisely where the tides meet, or, as has been intimated, at