A little more talk followed, and the captain of the Lord Duffield vouchsafed the information that he had sighted a Russian warship the day before.
"A warship!" murmured Larry.
"Which way was she bound?" asked Captain Ponsberry, anxiously.
"I can't tell you. She stopped us and asked a few questions and then slipped away in the darkness."
"What warship was she?"
"The Pocastra, from Vladivostok. I think she used to be in the merchant service and was built over for the navy."
The captain of the British steamer could give no further information, and so resumed his course, and the master of the Columbia did likewise.
"Ain't very nice news, is it?" said Tom Grandon.
"It's very unpleasant news," returned Captain Ponsberry, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What are you going to do about it?"