work Mr. Gibbs ordered the engine stopped.

"Now," said he, "the ring on the deck is exactly over the pole,
and we may prepare to take possession."

At these words Samuel Block disappeared below, followed by his
wife.

"That was an odd expression of yours, Captain Hubbell," said Mr.
Gibbs, "when you said we had reached longitude everything. It is
correct, of course, but it had not struck me in that light."

"Of course it is correct," said Captain Hubbell. "The end of
every line of longitude is right here in a bunch. If you were a
bird, you could choose one of 'em and fly down along it to
Washington or Greenwich or any other point you pleased.
Longitude everything is what it is; we've got the whole of 'em
right under us."

Now Samuel Block came on deck, where everybody else on board soon
gathered. With a furled flag in his hand, dressed in his best
and cleanest clothes, and with a large fur cloak thrown over his
shoulders, Mr Block advanced towards the ring on the deck, near
the compass.

But he was yet several yards from this point when a black figure,
crouching close to the deck, issued from among the men, a little
in the rear of the party, and made a dash towards the ring. It
was the Pole, Rovinski, who had been standing quivering with
excitement, waiting for this supreme moment. But almost at the