the
crew about this letter?"

"With the commander's permission," answered Johnson, "I should not do
so."

"And why not?" asked Shandon.

"Because everything mysterious and extraordinary tends to discourage
the men; they are already very much troubled, as it is, about the
nature of the journey. Now, if any supernatural circumstances should
become known, it might be harmful, and perhaps at a critical moment we
should not be able to count on them. What do you think, Commander?"

"And what do you think, Doctor?" asked Shandon.

"Boatswain Johnson seems to me to reason well," answered the doctor.

"And you, James?"

"Having no better opinion, I agree with these gentlemen."

Shandon reflected for a few minutes; he reread the letter attentively.

"Gentlemen," said he, "your opinion is certainly worthy of respect,
but I cannot adopt it."

"Why not, Shandon?" asked the doctor.

"Because the instructions in this letter are formal; it tells me to
give the captain's thanks to the crew; now, hitherto I have strictly
obeyed his orders, in whatever way they have been given to me, and I
cannot--"

"Still--" interposed Johnson, who had a warrantable dread of the
effect of such communications on the men's spirits.

"My dear Johnson," said Shandon, "I understand your objection; your
reasons are very good, but read that:--

"He begs of you to express his thanks to the crew."

"Do as he bids," replied Johnson, who was always a strict
disciplinarian. "Shall I assemble the crew on deck?"

"Yes," answered Shandon.

The news of a message from the captain was immediately whispered
throughout the ship. The sailors took their station without delay, and
the commander read aloud the mysterious letter.

It was received with dead silence; the crew separated under the
influence of a thousand suppositions; Clifton had plenty of material
for any superstitious vagaries; a great deal was ascribed by him to
the dog-captain, and he never failed to salute him every time he met
him.

"Didn't I tell you," he used to say to the sailors, "that he knew how
to write?"

No one made any answer, and even Bell, the carpenter, would have found
it hard to reply.

Nevertheless, it was plain to every one, that if the captain was not
on board, his shade or spirit was watching them; henceforth, the
wisest kept their opinions to themselves.

At midday of May 1st, their observation showed them that they were in
latitude 68 degrees and longitude