It was very early next morning after the conversation between Burke and Shirley that the latter saw a long line of smoke just above the horizon which he thought might give him reason for looking out for the steamer of which they were in quest; but when he got his glass, and the masts appeared above the horizon, he saw that this vessel was heading eastward, perhaps a little northeast, and therefore was not likely to be the _Dunkery Beacon_. But in half an hour his glass showed him that there were stripes on the funnel of this steamer which ran up and down, and in a moment Burke was called, and was soon at his side. "I believe that's the _Dunkery_!" cried the Captain, with the glass to his eye. "But she's on the wrong course! It won't take us long to overhaul her. We'll head the yacht a few points to the east. Don't say anything to anybody,--we don't want to disappoint them." "Oh, we can overhaul her," said Shirley, who now had the glass, "for it isn't a stern chase by any means." In less than half an hour everybody on board the _Summer Shelter_ knew that the large steamer, which they could plainly see on the rolling waves to the south, must be the _Dunkery Beacon_, unless, indeed, they should find that this was one of her sister ships coming north. There was great excitement on board the yacht. The breakfast, which was in course of preparation, was almost entirely forgotten by those who had it in charge, and everybody who could possibly leave duty crowded to the rail, peering across the waves to the southward. It was not long before Shirley, who had the best eyes on board, declared that he could read with his glass the name _Dunkery Beacon_ on the port bow. "That's not where we ought to see it," cried Burke; "we ought to see it on the stern! But we've got her, boys!"--and then he remembered himself, and added,--"ladies; and now let's give three good cheers!" Three rousing cheers were given by all on board with such good-will that they would have been heard on the other steamer had not the wind been pretty strong from the west. The _Summer Shelter_ gained upon the larger vessel, and Burke now ran up signals for her to lay to, as he wished to speak with her. To these signals, however, the _Dunkery_ paid no immediate attention, keeping steadily on, although altering her course towards the south-east. "What does that mean, Mr. Shirley?" asked Mrs. Cliff. "Mr. Burke wants her to stop, doesn't he?" "Yes," said Shirley, "that is what the signal is for." "But she doesn't stop!" said Mrs. Cliff. "Do you think there is any chance of her not stopping at all?" "Can't say, madam," he answered. "But she's got good reason for keeping on her way; a vessel with all that treasure on board could hardly be expected to lay to because a strange vessel that she knows nothing about asked her to shut off steam."