fine. The sun had sunk
below the horizon, leaving a sky as cloudless as that of summer.

Erik had the watch during the first quarter, and he walked the
quarter-deck with a light step. It seemed to him that, with the
departure of Tudor Brown, the evil genius of the expedition had
disappeared.

"Provided that he does not intend to rejoin us at Malta or Suez," he
said to himself.

It was possible--indeed, even probable--if Tudor Brown wished to spare
himself the long voyage which the "Alaska" would make before reaching
Egypt. While the vessel was going around the coasts of France and Spain,
he could, if it so pleased him, stay for a week in Paris, or at any
other place, and then take the mail packet either to Alexandria or Suez,
and rejoin the "Alaska" at either of those places; or he could even
defer doing so until they reached Singapore or Yokohama.

But this was only a possibility. The fact was that he was no longer on
board, and that he could not cast a damper upon the spirits of the
company.

Their dinner, also, which they took at six o'clock, as usual, was the
gayest which they had yet sat down to. At dessert they drank to the
success of the expedition, and every one, in his heart, associated it,
more or less, with the absence of Tudor Brown. Then they went on deck
and smoked their cigars.

It was a dark night, but in the distance toward the north they could see
the light of Cape Saint Matthew. They soon signaled, also, the little
light on the shore at Bec-du-Raze, which proved that they were in their
right course. A good breeze from the north-east accelerated the speed of
the vessel, which rolled very little, although the sea was quite rough.

As the dinner-party reached the deck, one of the sailors approached the
captain, and said: "Six knots and a quarter."

"In that case we shall not want any more coal until we arrive at
Behring's Straits," answered the captain. After saying these words, he
left the doctor and went down to his room. There he selected a large
chart, which he spread out before him under a brilliant light, which was
suspended from the ceiling. It was a map of the British Admiralty, and
indicated all the details of the course which the "Alaska" intended to
take. The shores, the islands, the sand-banks, the light-houses,
revolving lights, and the most minute details were all clearly marked
out. With such a chart and a compass it seemed as if even a child might
be able to guide the largest sh