"Five weeks—we left San Francisco one month after the arrival of your dispatch."
"Have you heard any news of Nordenskiold?"
"At San Francisco they had not received any reliable information about him. But since I have been here I have spoken to several captains of whaling-vessels, who said that they had heard from the natives of Serdze-Kamen that an European vessel had been frozen in by the ice for nine or ten months; they thought it was the 'Vega.'"
"Indeed!" said Erik, with a joy which we can easily understand. "And do you believe that it has not yet succeeded in getting through the straits?"
"I am sure of it—not a vessel has passed us for the last five weeks, which I have not seen and spoken to."
"God be praised—our troubles will not be without recompense, if we succeed in finding Nordenskiold."
"You will not be the first who has done so!" said the Yankee, with an ironical smile—"an American yacht has preceded you. It passed here three days ago, and like you was inquiring for Nordenskiold."
"An American yacht?" repeated Erik, half stupefied.
"Yes—the 'Albatross,' Captain Tudor Brown, from Vancouver's Island. I told him what I had heard, and he immediately started for Cape Serdze-Kamen."
CHAPTER XVI.