The second morning Alfred was outside, as usual, consulting the instruments, when a voice remarked in response to an inquiry: "48, 10." He paid no attention to it at the time, but later on, in a conversation, remarked to the captain:
"Some one in the conning tower, this morning, said '48, 10.' What do you suppose he meant by that?"
"Glad you remembered that. Are you sure the figures you give are correct?" asked the captain eagerly.
"Sure of it," was Alfred's reply.
"Then we are near the English Channel. Good; I am glad to know that. Did you hear them refer to any other figures?" asked the captain.
"What would the other figures be?" asked Ralph.
"Of course, I can only guess. The figures you have given me unquestionably represent forty-eight degrees and ten minutes north latitude. What interests me most is to get our position east and west," said the captain.
"About what longitude are we in?" asked Ralph.
"If we are less than five degrees west we must be in the English Channel, and it would appear that they are taking the shortest route. If we should be seven or eight degrees west I should regard it as a pretty sure symptom that we are going to encircle the British Isles," remarked the captain.
Late that afternoon Ralph rushed into their little cabin and said: