At that moment I was leaning forward on the starboard netting. Conseil, standing near me, was looking straight before him. The crew, perched in the ratlines, examined the horizon, which contracted and darkened by degrees. Officers with their night glasses scoured the growing darkness; sometimes the ocean sparkled under the rays of the moon, which darted between two clouds, then all trace of light was lost in the darkness. In looking at Conseil, I could see he was undergoing a little of the general influence. At least I thought so. Perhaps for the first time his nerves vibrated to a sentiment of curiosity. “Come, Conseil,” said I, “this is the last chance of pocketing the two thousand dollars.” “May I be permitted to say, sir,” replied Conseil, “that I never reckoned on getting the prize; and, had the government of the Union offered a hundred thousand dollars, it would have been none the poorer.” “You are right, Conseil. It is a foolish affair after all, and one upon which we entered too lightly. What time lost, what useless emotions! We should have been back in France six months ago.” “In your little room, sir,” replied Conseil, “and in your museum, sir, and I should have already classed all your fossils, sir. And the Babiroussa would have been installed in its cage in the Jardin des Plantes, and have drawn all the curious people of the capital!” “As you say, Conseil. I fancy we shall run a fair chance of being laughed at for our pains.” “That’s tolerably certain,” replied Conseil, quietly; “I think they will make fun of you, sir. And, must I say it?” “Go on, my good friend.” “Well, sir, you will only get your deserts.” “Indeed!” “When one has the honour of being a savant as you are, sir, one should not expose one’s self to——” Conseil had not time to finish his compliment. In the midst of general silence a voice had just been heard. It was the voice of Ned Land shouting— “Look out there! The very thing we are looking for—on our weather beam!” CHAPTER VI AT FULL STEAM At this cry the whole ship’s crew hurried towards the harpooner,—commander, officers, masters, sailors, cabin boys; even the engineers left their engines, and the stokers their furnaces.