and I felt certain that he was smiling at my fib.

As if he wished to do something which would convince me of his ignorance
of the happening, he hastily changed the subject.

"The captain thinks we are in for a spell of bad weather, Mr. Verslun,"
he drawled; "are you of the same opinion?"

"If signs go for anything we are," I replied. "We are running into a
zone of trouble."

He walked away without further speech, and the two girls went below in
response to a message from their father. The Professor was slightly
indisposed, and he demanded that his daughters remain with him in the
cabin. The selfishness of the scientist irritated Holman exceedingly,
and he made bitter comments about him during the hour or two he kept me
company.

"I never yet met one of those scientific gazaboos who didn't think he
was something more than mortal," he growled. "I try to keep on good
terms with the old bone measurer, but his vanity nearly turns me sick.
Do you know what he told me yesterday?"

"What?" I asked, amused at the youngster's annoyance.

"Said that he might mention my name in the report of the expedition that
he would send to some old research society in the States. When I didn't
show any signs of elation he got offended, so I guess I'm cut out of the
history."