ish to you," said Barton, taking each of them by
the hand. "I simply look upon you as messengers from God, and I want to
give you something more substantial than thanks." He placed a buckskin
sack of gold in the hand of Dr. Jones.

"Oh! no, Mr. Barton, my good friend," said the Doctor, handing it back;
"I won't take a cent. You are ten thousand times welcome to anything I
have done. I feel myself richly remunerated in the satisfaction of
leaving you all happy."

"Take it, Mrs. Jones, as a present from me," said Barton, and he pressed
it into her hand. "You will really hurt me if you do not accept it."

"Then I will do so, Mr. Barton. Good-bye," and away they shot up to the
cabin. At a given signal Joe and Sam cast the anchors off, they whizzed
up to the engine-room, and the mighty ball bounded skyward like a bird
in the clear, frosty morning air. A very brisk wind was blowing from
nearly due south, and the voyagers were delighted with the progress they
made that day toward their destination.

All day they sped at more than forty miles an hour over the vast
elevated plains that were but barren wastes, growing every hour drearier
and more desolate.

"Of all the misnomers on earth, the name given this country ranks
first," said Professor Gray.

"What is the meaning of the word 'Labrador,' Professor?" asked Denison.

"The literal meaning of the word is 'cultivable land.' As to its
appropriateness, you can judge for yourselves. I do not know who
bestowed upon it this misfit of a name, but it must have been a hardy
explorer, who did it in a fit of spleen and wretchedness."

"The Barton family seems to be comfortable and happy in poor old
Labrador," said Mrs. Jones.

"Yes, but my dear madame, they do not live by cultivating the land,"
returned the Professor. "The seasons are too variable, and the changes
of temperature are far too sudden to permit raising of crops of any
kind."

"Mr. Barton told me that they did raise a little garden stuff, such as
onions, lettuce, and radishes; but potatoes, corn, etc., invariably are
nipped by frost, and never mature," said Denison.

The Professor, a few moments before noon, ascended to the observatory
with sextant and chronometer, and determined the latitude and longitude
of "Silver Cloud," as Mrs. Jones had named the aluminum ship. He made
the entry in his logbook.

"There is our exact position now, Doctor," and he placed the point of a
pencil on the map of Labrador.

"In