otteries,
and seemed to be quite pleased to get a ticket. She asked Rollo to tell
such gentlemen as he might meet that she had 99 to sell for two
shillings. This, however, Rollo did not like to do; and so he simply
returned to the settee and reported to Mr. Chauncy that he had given the
woman the ticket and delivered the message.

Mr. Chauncy said he was very much obliged to him; and then, rising from
his seat, he walked slowly away, and descended into the cabin.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER X.

THE END OF THE LOTTERY.

In almost all cases of betting and lotteries, the operation of the
system is, that certain persons, called the knowing ones, contrive to
manage the business in such a way, by secret manoeuvres and intrigues,
as to make the result turn out to their advantage, at the expense of
those parties concerned who are ignorant and inexperienced, or, as they
term it, "green." Very deep plans were laid for accomplishing this
object in respect to the lottery described in the last chapter; though,
as it happened in this case, they were fortunately frustrated.

The principal of these manoeuvres were the work of the man whom they
called the Colonel. He had formed the plan, with another man, of
secretly watching the operation of heaving the log every time it was
performed, and making a note of the result. By doing this, he thought he
could calculate very nearly how many miles the ship would make, while
all the other passengers would have nothing to guide them but such
general estimates as they could make from recollection. He accordingly
arranged it with his confederates that one or the other of them should
be on deck whenever the men were called to heave the log, and, without
appearing to pay any particular attention to the operation, carefully to
obtain the result, and make a memorandum of it. This plan was sufficient
for the daytime. For the night--inasmuch as it might excite suspicion
for them to be up at unseasonable hours to watch the operation--they
resorted to another method. They bribed one of the seamen of each watch
to find out the result of each trial during his watch, and to give them
the answers in the morning. When the last time for heaving the log,
previous to making up the accounts for the day, came, which was at ten
o'clock, they took that result, and then, shutting themselves up in
their state room, they made a calculation, and ascertained pretty
certainly, as they thought, that the distance