BURIED ALIVE. 165 



I was looking steadfastly at the little vessel as she came rolling 

 down before the wind, keeping my eye, some how or other, on 

 the man that was bending on the ensign haulyards. He immed- 

 iately began to hoi^t away the ensign, until it reached about half- 

 way between the end of the long drooping, wire-like yard and the 

 deck, where the man jerked it upwards and downwards for a 

 minute, as if irresolute whether to run it choke up, or haul it 

 down again ; at length it did hang half-mast-high, and blew out 

 steadily. 



My mind suddenly misgave me, and I looked for the pennant; 

 it was also hoisted half-mast — " Alas ! alas ! poor Donovan," I 

 involuntarily exclaimed — but loud enough to be overheard by 

 the Commodore who stood by — "another victim to this horrid 

 coast." 



" What is wrong, Mr. Brail ? " said Sir. Oliver. 



" I fear Mr. Donovan is dead, sir. The felucca's ensign and 

 pennant are half-mast, sir." 



" Bless me, no — surely not," said the excellent old man, — 

 " hand me the glass, Mr. Brail. Too true — too true — where is 

 all this to end ? " said he with a sigh. 



The felucca was now within long pistol-shot of our weather- 

 quarter, standing across our stern, with the purpose of rounding- 

 to under our lee. At this time Sir Oliver was looking out close 

 by the tafFerel, with his trumpet in his hand. I was still peering 

 through the glass. " Why, there is the strangest figure come on 

 deck, on board the Midge, that ever I saw — what can it be? 

 Sir Oliver, will you please to look at it ? " 



The Commodore took the glass with the greatest good humour, 

 while he handed me his trumpet, — " Really," said he, " I cannot 

 tell — Mr. Sprawl, can you ? " Sprawl (the first lieutenant) — 

 honest man — took his spell at the telescope — but he was equally 

 unsuccessful. The figure that was puzzling us, was a half-naked 

 man, in his shirt and trousers, with a large blue shawl bound 

 round his head, who had suddenly jumped on deck, with a 

 hammock thrown over his shoulders as if it had been a dressing . 

 gown, the clue hanging half-way down his back, while the upper 

 part of the canvass shroud was lashed tightly round his neck, 

 but so as to leave his arms and legs free scope; and there he was- 

 strutting about with the other clue trailing away astern of him, 

 like the train of a lady's gown, as if he had in fact been arrayed 

 in what was anciently called a curricle-robe. Over this extraor- 

 dinary array, the figure had slung a formidable Spanish trabiwo, 



