glorious stars most of us have never seen and never shall see in
this world. No belching smoke obscured, no plunging paddles
deepened; all was musical; the soft air sighing among the sails;
the phosphorescent water bubbling from the ship's bows; the
murmurs from little knots of men on deck subdued by the great
calm: home seemed near, all danger far; Peace ruled the sea, the
sky, the heart: the ship, making a track of white fire on the
deep, glided gently, yet swiftly, homeward, urged by snowy sails
piled up like alabaster towers against a violet sky, out of which
looked a thousand eyes of holy, tranquil fire. So melted the sweet
night away.

"Now carmine streaks tinged the eastern sky at the water's edge,
and that water blushed; now the streaks turned orange, and the
waves below them sparkled. Thence splashes of living gold flew and
settled on the ship's white sails, the deck, and the faces; and,
with no more prologue, being so near the line, up came
majestically a huge, fiery, golden sun, and set the sea flaming
liquid topaz.

"Instant the lookout at the foretop-gallant-mast-head hailed the
deck below.

"'Strange sail! Right ahead!'

* * * * *

"Ah! the stranger's deck swarms black with men!

"His sham ports fell as if by magic, his guns grinned through the