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Far along in the day, we saw one steamboat; just one, and no more. She was lying at rest in the shade, within the wooded mouth of the Obion River. The spy-glass revealed the fact that she was named for me or HE was named for me, whichever you prefer.
They had carried off the spy-glass of their prize too, and several among them knew its use, from having seen similar things in other stranded ships. By means of this glass, they discovered the number and quality of those on board the Montauk, as soon as there was sufficient light, and directed their own operations accordingly.
A great party of us were on deck smoking and making a noise, and waiting to see famous Scylla and Charybdis. And presently the Oracle stepped out with his eternal spy-glass and squared himself on the deck like another Colossus of Rhodes. It was a surprise to see him abroad at such an hour. Nobody supposed he cared anything about an old fable like that of Scylla and Charybdis.
The other negroes laughed at this reply, and I felt a little confidence; at all events, their good-humour gave me courage, and I felt that being bold was my only chance. The negro captain looked at me for a time, as if considering, and at last said to the men, "Overboard with him." "Good-bye, sir, you're very kind," said I; "but this is a capital spy-glass, and I leave it to you as a legacy."
"What do you see there?" called the captain, noticing the surprise of his men. "The spectre ship, sir," one of them answered at last, trembling. Trahern began to scan the vessel through his spy-glass. "That's no spectre ship," he said after a short pause. "What else could she be, sir? Would any mortal man carry sail in such a tempest? See how fast she approaches us!
Having arranged this in his mind, Mr Vanslyperken took two or three turns more, and then went down and turned in. The loss of the boat was reported by Obadiah Coble at daylight, and Mr Vanslyperken immediately went on deck with his spy-glass, to ascertain if he could distinguish the corporal coming down with the last of the ebb-tide, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Louis went to the cabin and proceeded to study up the island. He made notes in a little blank-book he kept for the purpose in his pocket, and he had already filled a dozen such books; for they contained a full diary of all the events of the voyage for over a year. Felix kept his spy-glass in his hand all the time, and every few minutes he swept the horizon to the northward with it.
"Oh dear!" he sighed, "I would not care a button for the cooking of our victuals, perhaps they don't need it, but it's so dismal to eat one's supper in the dark, and we have had such a capital day, that it's a pity to finish off in this glum style. Oh, I have it!" he cried, starting up; "the spy-glass, the big glass at the end is a burning-glass!" "You forget that we have no sun," said I.
"He'd only begin asking questions about my face, and grinning at me like one of the great stupid fisher boys," said Aleck to himself, as he passed the sling strap of the spy-glass over his shoulder and hurried in and out among the bosky shrubs close under the great cliff wall, till, passing suddenly round a great feathery tuft of tamarisk, he came suddenly upon the very man he was trying to avoid, standing in a very peculiar position, his back bowed inward, head thrown backward, and a square black bottle held upside down, the neck to his lips and the bottom pointing to the sky.
The first came when he had been in hiding three days; the other two days later. Both times Wanda had come out upon the porch where with the spy-glass in the cave he could see her plainly. She had signalled him, using the first few signals of that code they had made together so merrily.
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