"Every time so far Uncle Amos, or one of
the boys, has been with us. We must learn to depend on ourselves."
"That is so," agreed Mollie. "It will be lovely, it is such a nice
day."
"Just a little trip," went on Betty, "to see if we have forgotten
anything of our instructions."
Just then a clock chimed out eight strokes, in four sections of two
strokes each.
"Eight o'clock!" exclaimed Amy. "Your timepiece must be wrong, Betty.
It's nearer noon than eight."
"That's eight bells-- twelve o'clock," said the pretty hostess, with a
laugh. "That's a new marine clock Uncle Amos gave me for the Gem. It
keeps time just as it is done on shipboard."
"And when it's eight o'clock it's twelve," murmured Grace. "Do you
have to do subtraction and addition every time the clock strikes?"
"No, you see, eight bells is the highest number. It is eight bells at
eight o'clock, at four o'clock and at twelve-- either at night, or in
the daytime."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll never learn that," sighed Amy.
"It is very simple," explained Betty, "Now it is eight bells-- twelve
o'clock noon. At half-past twelve it will be one bell.
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