words which the poor fellow could not pronounce. At
last, after trying for five minutes, he managed to utter this word:--

"_Porpoise_."

"The _Porpoise_?" asked the captain.

The American bowed affirmatively.

"In these seas?" asked Hatteras with beating heart.

The same sign from the sick man.

"To the north?"

"Yes."

"And you know where it lies?"

"Yes."

"Exactly?"

There was a moment's silence. The bystanders were all excited.

"Now, listen carefully," said Hatteras to the sick man; "we must know
where this ship lies. I am going to count the degrees aloud; you will
stop me by a sign."

The American bowed his head to show that he understood.

"Come," said Hatteras, "we'll begin with the longitude. One hundred
and five? No.--Hundred and six? Hundred and seven? Hundred and eight?
Far to the west?"

"Yes," said the American.

"Let us go on. Hundred and nine? Ten? Eleven? Twelve? Fourteen?
Sixteen? Eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty?"

"Yes," answered Altamont.

"Longitude one hundred and twenty?" said Hatteras. "And how many
minutes? I shall count."

Hatteras began at number one. At fifteen Altamont made a sign for him
to stop.

"All right!" said Hatteras. "Now for the latitude. You understand?
Eighty? Eighty-one? Eighty-two? Eighty-three?"

The American stopped him with a gesture.

"Well! And the minutes? Five? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? Twenty-five?
Thirty? Thirty-five?"

Another sign from Altamont, who smiled slightly.

"So," continued Hatteras, in a deep voice, "the _Porpoise_ lies in
longitude 120 degrees 15 minutes, and 83 degrees 35 minutes latitude?"

"Yes!" said the American, as he fell fainting into the doctor's arms.
This exertion had exhausted him.

[Illustration: "'Yes!' said the American."]

"My friends," cried Hatteras, "you see that safety lies to the north,
always to the north! We shall be saved!"

But after these first words of joy, Hatteras seemed suddenly struck by
a terrible thought. His expression changed, and he felt himself stung
by the serpent of jealousy.

Some one else, an American, had got three degrees nearer the Pole! And
for what purpose?

CHAPTER III.
SEVENTEEN DAYS OF LAND JOURNEY.

This new incident, these first words which Altamont uttered, had
completely altered the situation of the castaways; but just now they
had been far from any possible aid, without a reasonable chance of
reaching Baffin's Bay, threatened with starvation on a journey too