“She was going a little east of north; and I concluded that she intended to make either Plymouth or Southampton. She may have gone more to the eastward when she was well up with the cape,” added Capt. Goodwin. “Then it was the starboard side of the steamer that was seen by Dr. Phelps?” “Certainly it was: she was on our starboard, headed to the northward,” replied Goodwin. “You said the steamer was not black the whole length of her, Dr. Phelps?” continued the vice-principal of the Tritonia, warming up still more as the investigation proceeded. “I said so; but, if you give me any nautical conundrums, I can’t guess them,” answered the passenger, laughing. “What color was the part of the steamer that was not black, if you please, Dr. Phelps?” asked Mr. Pelham. “It was a kind of straw-color; possibly yellow. It was a sort of an irregular patch at the forward part of the vessel. If it had been on the roof of an old barn in the country, I should say that it had a lot of new shingles laid among the old ones,” answered the doctor. “Precisely so! and that part of the steamer’s side near the forward part of her--and that was on her starboard bow--was the new planking of the Ville d’Angers,” exclaimed Mr. Pelham excitedly. “I would not give any one ten cents to insure my statement that the steamer towing the dismasted vessel was the Ville d’Angers!” “It may be,” replied the principal, musing. “I am confident I am right.” “I think you are, Pelham,” added Mr. Fluxion, who was particularly pleased to have his hopeful theory substantiated. “But the Ville d’Angers must have made good time, towing a wreck, to have been off Ushant when you saw her there,” suggested the principal. “It is hardly possible it was she.” “It took us three days to make Funchal after we lost sight of the Ville d’Angers,” said Mr. Fluxion, figuring with a pencil on the back of a letter. “When did you see this steamer, Capt. Goodwin?” “In the first part of our second day out,” replied the captain of the Marian. “Then the Ville d’Angers had five days to make Ushant; and she could easily do it in that time: she had the wind with her all the way.” “And she had all her sails set; and it was blowing fresh when we saw her. They had a jury-mast on the wreck, with some sail on it,” added Capt. Goodwin. “It blew a gale in the Bay of Biscay the next day, and I have no doubt it extended up to the coast of England,” said Judge Rodwood. “Do I understand you, Mr. Lowington, that you send these boys off on such expeditions as this one?”