but as Mrs. Raleigh is one of the owners, and such a good friend
to you and me, Sammy, it is our duty to let her know what
dreadful bad luck we are carryin' with us."

"Don't you suppose she knows how many people are aboard?" said
Sammy.

"Of course she knows; but she don't consider what it means, or we
wouldn't all have been here. It is her right to know, Sammy.
Perhaps she might order us to go back to Cape Tariff and put
somebody ashore."

In his heart Samuel Block believed that if this course were
adopted he was pretty sure who would be put on shore, if a vote
were taken by officers and crew; but he was too wise to say
anything upon this point, and contented himself with positively
refusing to send southward any news of the evil omen.

The next day Mrs. Block felt that she must speak upon the subject
or perish, and she asked Mr. Gibbs what he thought of there being
thirteen people on board.

"Madam," said he, "these signs lose all their powers above the
seventieth parallel of latitude. In fact, none of them have ever
been known to come true above sixty-eight degrees and forty
minutes, and we are a good deal higher than that, you know."

Sarah made no answer, but she told her husband afterwards that she
thought that Mr. Gibbs had his mind so full of electricity that it
had no room for old-fashioned common-sense. It did not do to sneer