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           Then,—

           "Itisindeedavessel,"saidhe,"butIdonotthinksheisthe‘Duncan.’"

           "Whydoyounotthinkso?"askedGideonSpilett.

           "Becausethe‘Duncan’isasteam-yacht,andIcannotperceiveanytraceofsmokeeitheraboveornearthatvessel."

           "Perhapssheissimplysailing,"observedPencroft."Thewindisfavorableforthedirectionwhichsheappearstobetaking,andshemaybeanxioustoeconomizehercoal,beingsofarfromland."

           "Itispossiblethatyoumayberight,Mr.Pencroft,"answeredAyrton,"andthatthevesselhasextinguishedherfires.Wemustwaituntilsheisnearer,andthenweshallsoonknowwhattoexpect."

           Sosaying,Ayrtonsatdowninacorneroftheroomandremainedsilent.Thecolonistsagaindiscussedthestrangeship,butAyrtontooknopartintheconversation.Allwereinsuchamoodthattheyfounditimpossibletocontinuetheirwork.GideonSpilettandPencroftwereparticularlynervous,going,coming,notabletoremainstillinoneplace.Herbertfeltmorecuriosity.Nebalonemaintainedhisusualcalmmanner.Wasnothiscountrythatwherehismasterwas?Astotheengineer,heremainedplungedindeepthought,andinhisheartfearedratherthandesiredthearrivaloftheship.Inthemeanwhile,thevesselwasalittlenearertheisland.Withtheaidoftheglass,itwasascertainedthatshewasabrig,andnotoneofthoseMalayproas,whicharegenerallyusedbythepiratesofthePacific.