Merry felt like shouting, but Jack was looking puzzled and dazed.  Diamond could not comprehend the little man, and he failed to catch the humor of the character.

“Now,” said Mr. Slush, “I will come directly to the—­point.”

“Do,” nodded Frank.

“I just saw a—­er—­person leave this room.  I wish to know if—­Good gracious, sir!  Do you know that is a bad sign!”

He pointed a wavering finger at Frank.

“What is a bad sign?” asked Merry, surprised.

“To wear a—­a dagger pin thrust through a—­a tie in which there is the least bit of—­red.  It is a sign of—­of bloodshed.  I—­I beg you to remove that—­that pin from that scarf!”

The little man seemed greatly agitated.

After a moment of hesitation, Frank laughed lightly and took the pin from the scarf.

Immediately the visitor seemed to breathe more freely.

“Ah—­er—­thank you!” he said.  “I—­I’ve seen omens enough.  Everything seems to point to—­to a—­tragedy.  I regret exceedingly that I ever sailed—­on this steamer.  I—­I shall be thankful when I put my feet on dry land—­if I ever do again.”

“You must be rather superstitious,” suggested Frank.

“Not at all—­that is, not to any extent,” Mr. Slush hastened to aver.  “There are a few signs—­and omens—­which I know—­will come true.”

“Indeed!”

“Yes, sir!” asserted the little man, with surprising positiveness.  “I know something will happen—­to this boat.  I—­I am positive of it.”

“Why are you so positive?”

“Everything foretells it.  At the very start it was—­foretold.  I was foolish then that I did not demand—­demand, sir—­to be set ashore, even after the steamer had left—­her pier.”

“How was that?”

“There was a cat, sir—­a poor, stray cat—­that came aboard this steamer.  They did not let her stay—­understand me?  They—­they drove her off!”

“And that was a bad omen?”

“Bad!  It was—­ah—­er—­frightful!  Old sailors will tell you that.  Always—­er—­let a cat remain on board a vessel—­if—­she—­comes on board.  If you—­if you do not—­you will regret it.”

“And you think something must happen to this steamer?”

“I’m afraid so—­I feel it.  There is—­something mysterious about the vessel, gentlemen.  I don’t know—­just what it is—­but it’s something.  The—­the captain looks worried.  I—­I’ve noticed it.  I’ve talked with him.  Couldn’t get any satisfaction—­out of him.  But I—­I know!”

“I’m afraid you are a croaker,” said Diamond, unable to keep still longer.

“You may think so—­now; but wait and see—­wait.  Keep your eyes—­open.  I—­I think you will see something.  I think you will find there are—­mysterious things going on.”

“Well, you have not told us what you want of us, Mr. Slush,” said Frank.

“That’s so—­forgot it.”  Then, of a sudden, to Bruce:  “Don’t twirl your thumbs—­that way.  Do it backward—­backward!  It—­it’s a sure sign of—­disaster to twirl your thumbs—­forward.”