"Seven and a half fathoms, sir," the mate announced a few minutes later, after he had cast the lead.
"Let go the anchor, then. We'll stay right where we are till morning."
"Yes, sir." And the anchor was run out and soon the Valkyrie was riding at the end of a hundred feet of chain.
The captain still wore a troubled look when, some time later, the boys joined him in the main cabin where he was poring over a large map which was spread out on the large center table.
"Where in thunder do you suppose that pesky island went to?" he asked looking up as they entered the room.
"Maybe one of those whales, Mr. Kelley was telling us about the other night, swallowed it," Jack grinned.
"You don't want to believe all you hear, especially from a sailor," the captain told them with a broad smile, adding: "I don't suppose there was much more'n room on the Atlantic ocean for that whale to turn round in, eh."
"Well, maybe it wasn't quite that bad but I reckon it could have swallowed that island all right without making more'n two bites at the outside," Bob laughed. "But don't you think that it's possible that that island was only a mirage?"
"But we saw it after the sun had gone down."
"I know it, sir, and, of course, my theory may be a bit far fetched but, owing to the refraction of light, isn't it possible for a mirage to happen after sundown?"