determine their position.
As no land had yet been seen, they stood on for the greater part of the
night; but towards morning, Captain Tracy; afraid of running further,
hove the ship to, to wait for daylight.

Even before the first streaks of dawn appeared above the eastern
horizon, the two mates, followed by Captain O'Brien, went aloft, eager
to catch the expected sight of land. What was their surprise to
discover it not only to the westward, where they had looked for it, but
away to the south-east and over the starboard quarter. The ship had run
in during the night among a group of islands, but what islands they were
it was difficult to determine. Norah had dressed and appeared from her
cabin as her father and Captain O'Brien came below to consult the chart.

"Here is our position, if I mistake not," said Captain Tracy, placing
his finger on the chart. "We are further to the south'ard than I had
supposed. An ugly place to have got to, but it might have been worse;
the ship would have chanced to run foul of a reef had we stood on. But,
Heaven be praised, we've escaped that disaster, and we'll now try to
thread our way into the Windward Passage."

While the course to be pursued was still under debate, a cry from aloft
was heard of--"A sail to the nor'ard!"

The captains hurried on deck, followed by Norah. "What is she like?"
asked Captain Tracy.

"A large ship under all sail, standing this way, sir," answered the
second mate.

In a short time it became evident that the _Research_ was seen by the
stranger, for the latter set every stitch of canvas she could carry, and
steered directly after her.

A small island appeared ahead. At first it was proposed to pass to the
westward of it, but the look-out from the mast-head discovering several
dark rocks rising above the surface, and extending to a considerable
distance in that direction, the ship's course was altered so that she
would run along the eastern side of the island, as close in as prudence
would allow. It was hoped that, to the southward of the island, a
channel might be found which would lead her clear of the rocks and
shoals by which she was surrounded.

Norah, who had continued on deck, had seldom withdrawn her eyes from the
stranger, which appeared to her to be much nearer than when first seen.
"What do you think, Captain O'Brien--is not that vessel fast gaining on
us?" she asked.

"That may be, my dear Miss Norah, but it need not make us fear