"Whatever can he mean?" thought the Pilot.
"Willis, to reach Europe from here, what course do you think would be best?"
"Now I think I shall fix him at last," said the Pilot, levelling his rifle at an imaginary bird.
"You will only waste gunpowder," said Becker; "I see nothing."
"You asked me just now what course I should steer for Europe, did you not?"
"Yes."
"Well, the most direct course would be to make the Straits of Macassar, and then steer for Java."
"And when there?"
"You would then be fifteen or sixteen hundred leagues from the Cape."
"So much?"