Leaving to the south the Gulf of Taymis—­which is also the name of the great Siberian peninsula of which Cape Tchelynskin forms the extreme point—­the “Alaska,” directing her course westward, sailed uninterruptedly during the day and night of the 17th of August.

On the eighteenth, at day-break, the fog disappeared at last and the atmosphere was pure and enlivened by the sunshine.  By midday they had rounded the point, and immediately descried a distant sail to the south-west.

The presence of a sailing-vessel in these unfrequented seas was too extraordinary a phenomenon not to attract special attention.  Erik, with his glass in his hand, ascended to the lookout and examined the vessel carefully for a long time.  It appeared to lie low in the water, was rigged like a schooner and had a smoke-stack, although he could not perceive any smoke.  When he descended from the bridge the young captain said to the doctor: 

“It looks exactly like the ‘Albatross!’” Then he gave orders to put on all steam possible.  In less than a quarter of an hour he saw that they were gaining on the vessel, whose appointments they were now able to discern with the naked eye.  They could see that the breeze had slackened, and that her course was at right angles with that of the “Alaska.”

But suddenly a change took place in the distant vessel; Clouds of smoke issued from her smoke-stack, and formed behind her a long black cloud.  She was now going by steam and in the same direction as the “Alaska.”

“There is now no doubt of it.  It is the ‘Albatross,’” said Erik.

He gave orders to the engineer to increase the speed of the “Alaska,” if possible.  They were then making fourteen knots, and in a quarter of an hour they were making sixteen knots.  The vessel that they were pursuing had not been able to attain a like rate of speed, for the “Alaska” continued to gain upon her.  In thirty minutes they were near enough to her to distinguish all her men who were maneuvering her.  At last they could see the moldings and letters forming her name, “Albatross.”

Erik gave orders to hoist the Swedish flag.  The “Albatross” immediately hoisted the stars and stripes of the United States of America.

In a few minutes the two vessels were only separated by a few hundred yards.  Then the captain of the “Alaska” took his speaking-trumpet and hailed the vessel in English: 

“Ship ahoy!  I wish to speak with your captain!”

In a few moments some one made his appearance on the bridge of the “Albatross.”  It was Tudor Brown.

“I am the proprietor and captain of this yacht,” he said.  “What do you want?”

“I wish to know whether Patrick O’Donoghan is on board!’”

“Patrick O’Donoghan is on board and can speak for himself,” answered Tudor Brown.

He made a sign, and a man joined him on the bridge.

“This is Patrick O’Donoghan,” said Tudor Brown.  “What do you want with him?”