"Why, Miss Smithers!" he said, "what on earth are you doing here at this
hour?--making up romances?"

"Yes," she answered, laughing, and with perfect truth. "The fact of
the matter is, I could not sleep, and so I came on deck; and very
pleasant it is!"

"Yes," said the captain, "If you want something to put into your stories
you won't find anything better than this. The Kangaroo is showing her
heels, isn't she, Miss Smithers? That's the beauty of her, she can sail
as well as steam; and when she has a strong wind like this abaft, it
would have to be something very quick that would catch her. I believe
that we have been running over seventeen knots an hour ever since
midnight. I hope to make Kerguelen Island by seven o'clock to correct my
chronometers."

"What is Kerguelen Island?" asked Augusta.

"Oh! it is a desert place where nobody goes, except now and then a
whaler to fill up with water. I believe that the astronomers sent an
expedition there a few years ago, to observe the transit of Venus: but
it was a failure because the weather was so misty--it is nearly always
misty there. Well, I must be off, Miss Smithers. Good night; or, rather,
good morning."

Before the words were well out of his mouth, there was a wild shout
forward--"_ship ahead_!" Then came an awful yell from a dozen
voices--"_starboard! Hard-a-starboard, for God's sake_."