noon
Daylight brought with it a clear sky , dappled with high , fleecy , white , fine-weather clouds , and a moderate breeze from the south-east , with a very heavy , confused sea still running , however ; and as the barque 's royals were still in sight above the horizon , we cracked on after her , although the carpenter had warned Ryan that the work done during the night was scarcely as satisfactory as might be , and that the mast-head was hardly to be trusted . But the fellow was a thoroughly good man , and eager to avoid all possibility of it being said that we had lost the chance of a prize through him . As soon therefore as it was light enough to see , he was aloft again ; and by eight bells he had finished his work , and reported that we might now pack sail upon the schooner to our hearts ' content , which we forthwith did , giving her everything that would draw , from the royal down , the wind being very nearly aft , that is to say , about two points on the larboard quarter . By noon it became apparent that we were gaining , although but slowly , on the barque , her royals and half her topgallant-sails being by this time above the horizon ; and now all was anxiety on board the schooner as to the character of the coming night ; for we had no doubt that , seeing , as they now must , that we were following them , the ever-vigilant suspicions of the barque 's people would prompt them to avoid us should the night prove dark enough to permit of such a manoeuvre . The indications were all for fine weather , however ; the glass was rising steadily , the sky was becoming of a deeper clearer blue ; the white clouds were melting away , promising a clear , star-lit night between the hours of sunset and moonrise , and , what was equally as much in our favour , both wind and sea were going down steadily . Toward eight bells in the afternoon watch we sighted another sail -- a schooner this time ; she was beating up to the eastward , and crossed the hawse of the barque at no great distance , exchanging signals with her , although what was their nature we could not see , and even had we been near enough to have made out the flags , it is exceedingly improbable that we should have understood them . We had a suspicion , however , that they in some way referred to us ; for shortly afterwards the schooner tacked and stood towards us , crossing our bows at a distance of about a mile , and exhibiting the French ensign .