ing compass card. The shift of position threw
the wind directly abeam. It was now blowing squarely against the
quarter, causing the sloop to heel down at a sharp angle. The boat
fairly leaped forward, her lee rail almost buried in a smother of
foam. The eyes of the girl at the wheel sparkled with pleasure. It was
glorious. Harriet Burrell could not remember to have enjoyed a happier
moment.

"They are watching us," announced the captain, who had been examining
the oncoming ship through his glass. "They think we may be coming out
to speak to them," he added with a chuckle.

"We don't thpeak thhipth in the daylight," answered Tommy, drawing a
quick glance from the captain. Harriet gave her a warning look, then
devoted her attention to steering the course, glancing at the oncoming
ship every now and then.

"Swing out," directed Captain Billy. "She throws a heavy swell. We
will cut across it at right angles passing under her stern. I'll tell
you when to swing in so we'll just make it. Now, can you see the
people?"

"Yes, yes!" cried the girls.

The huge red and black funnels belching clouds of dense black smoke
were now plainly visible, as were the towering upperworks of the ship,
and the bridge high in the air.

"Swing in," commanded the "Sue's" skipper.

Harriet put the helm hard over. The sloop responded quickly. Now the
spray dashed over the boat in a drenching shower, bringing shouts of
glee from the Meadow-Brook Girls. The move in a few minutes brought
them so close to the big ship that the girls could look into the fresh
sea-blown faces of the passengers who crowded the rails on that side
of the liner. It seemed as if the sloop must crash into the side of
the larger boat. Harriet glanced inquiringly at Captain Billy, who
nodded encouragingly, from which she understood that there was no
cause for alarm.

The girls were now waving their handkerchiefs and shouting to the
amazed passengers, who could not understand why a party in so frail a
craft should be met with far out to sea, how far few of those on the
ship knew. They did know that they were out of sight of land, which
made the marvel all the greater.

"Point in closer," commanded Captain Billy.

Harriet swung in still more. The "Sister Sue" buried her nose in the
foamy, eddying wake of the liner close under the counter, so close, in
fact, that the girls could see the water boiling over the twin
propellers and hear their beat. The next moment they had