"How shall I change it?"

"Go to Shuffles; and the other eight fellows who voted in the dark must
do the same."

"What shall I say to him?"

"You must go to him as a member of the society, and salute him as such."

"I don't know how."

"I'll tell you. When you meet him, scratch the tip end of your nose with
the nail of your second finger on the right hand; in this manner,"
continued Pelham giving the first sign.

"That's it--is it?" said Paul, as he imitated the action of Pelham.

"Yes; that's right He will reply by taking the lower part of his left
ear between the thumb and first finger of the left hand--so," added
Pelham.

"I have it," answered Paul, as he made the motions.

"Then you will scratch your chin with the thumb nail of the left hand,
and he will reply by blowing his nose."

"Let's see if I can do all that," laughed Paul, very much amused at the
mystic indications of membership In the secret association.

He made the signs to Pelham, who replied to them, several times, until
he was perfect in his part.

"All right. I will remember them," said Paul.

"But you haven't got the whole of it yet. When you have made the signs,
and he has answered them, he will say, '_Is_ that so?' with strong
emphasis on the first word."

"_Is_ that so?" repeated Paul.

"Then you will reply, '_That_ is so,' with the stress on _that_."

"_That_ is so," added Paul.

"Then you must place yourself so as to look directly forward or aft. If
you look forward, he must look aft."

"I understand you."

"Now I want to know who the other fellows were that played 'Don't know
Beans' that day."

"Captain Gordon was one."

"Will you post him up in what I have told you?"

"I will, and the other fellows who voted for Shuffles, if you say so."

"Thank you. I wish you would. Let them all tell him they desire to
change their votes; but have them do it one at a time."

Paul Kendall promised to do what was required of him; and in the course
of the following forenoon he initiated "the outsiders who had voted for
Shuffles" in the secret machinery of the supposed society, but in fact
of the Chain League. Being off duty during the second part of the
afternoon watch, he encountered Shuffles in the lee side of the waist.

"Well, Shuffles, we are almost up with the coast of Ireland," said Paul,
as he scratched the tip of his nose with the second finger of his right
hand, agreeably to the instructions given him by Pelham.

"Yes;