w that the work upon the machinery was
almost finished. They only had to adjust the pumps, and that was to be
done the next day.

But in the night, between the 14th and 15th, the body of the pump
disappeared from the workshop of the Messrs. Gainard, Norris & Co.

It was impossible to find it.

How had it been taken away--who had done it?

After investigation they were unable to discover.

However, it would take ten days more to replace it, and that would make
it the 25th of March before the "Alaska" could leave L'Orient.

It was a singular fact, but this incident affected Erik's spirits more
than the shipwreck had done. He saw in it a sure sign of a persistent
desire to prevent the voyage of the "Alaska."

But these efforts only redoubled his ardor, and he determined that
nothing should be wanting on his part to bring the expedition to a
successful termination.

These ten days of delay were almost exclusively occupied by him in
considering the question in all its aspects. The more he studied, the
more he became convinced that he could not reach Behring's Straits in
three months, for they had suffered a detention of forty days since they
had left Stockholm, and to persist would only be to court failure and
perhaps some irremediable disaster.

This conclusion did not stop him, but it only led him to think that some
modification of their original plans was indispensable.

He took care, however, to say nothing, rightly judging that secrecy was
the first condition of victory. He contented himself with watching more
closely than ever the work of repairing the vessel.

But his companions thought that they perceived that he was less eager to
set out.

They therefore concluded that he saw that the enterprise was
impracticable, which they had also believed for some time.

But they were mistaken.

On the 25th of March, at midday, the repairs of the "Alaska" were
completed, and she was once more afloat in the harbor of L'Orient.

CHAPTER XV.

THE SHORTEST ROUTE.

Night was closing in when Erik summoned his three friends and counselors
to hold a serious consultation.

"I have reflected a great deal," he said to them, "upon the
circumstances which have made our voyage memorable since we left
Stockholm. I have been forced to arrive at one conclusion, which is that
we must expect to meet with obstacles or accidents during our voyage.
Perhaps they may befall us at Gibraltar or at Malta. If we are not
dest