"I always think about it."
"I can easily put it out of existence by stuffing it under a kettle in the cook's galley; it may aid Cuffy in cooking the dinner."
"No, no," said he, hastily, "that would be worse."
"In what way?"
"I don't know," said he, thoughtfully; "but such things are like the Flying Dutchman's letters, which must neither be taken or refused when the wind blows them on board."
Some days after this, Hartly lost his ring—the ring given him by old Mother Jensdochter—the amulet which, until that moment, he had never been without. It was torn from his hand while assisting to haul the maintack on board, and dropped over the gunnel.
This trivial event, and the story of the De Ruyter, together with the past evils of our voyage, affected Hartly and Reeves more seriously than I could have imagined. From the cabin, Cuffy Snowball soon carried the vague fears forward among the seamen. Hans Peterkin began to shake his white head ominously, for old mariners have, they know not why or how, strange instincts and presentiments; so our crew, without any just reason, became more than usually solicitous about their duties, and anxious for the termination of the voyage.
CHAPTER XXIX.
ADVENTURE WITH A WHALE.
Next day the wind veered due west, and we trimmed the Leda, to lie close to it, making long tacks to the southward, as we had been driven so far to the north-east.