t is to-day. If nothing broke, I knew
we should come out of it all right; and I never thought of such a thing
as going to the bottom. It looks a good deal worse to you fellows who
were never out in a sailboat when it blew hard than it really is. I
didn't think there was any great danger when we started out: if I had, I
shouldn't have come over," said Dory quietly.

The members of the Goldwing Club had the idea that they had had a narrow
escape, and the skipper was not inclined to allow them to make heroes of
themselves. The motion of a boat in a heavy sea seems terrible to those
who are not accustomed to it, and the boys were disposed to make the
worst of it.

"I wouldn't try it again if you would give me the Goldwing," said Thad
with emphasis.

"After you have been through that sort of thing a few times, you will
not mind it at all. It was what I call a lively time: that's all," added
Dory. "I went down to St. John with Bill Pitts in a sailboat, and we had
a rougher time than this all one day."

Dory thought he should like the rest of his dinner by this time.

CHAPTER XIV.

EARLY IN THE MORNING.

The skipper of the Goldwing had an excellent appetite, and the other
members of the club had regained theirs by this time.

Fortunately they had plenty of provisions, for there was nothing for
them to do but eat during the rest of the day. It continued to blow as
fresh as it had since the middle of the forenoon till dark.

Dory thought it would abate at night, but there were no signs of a
change. The party were pretty thoroughly tired out after the labor and
the excitement of the day. The boys gaped until they had nearly thrown
their jaws out of joint.

There was room enough in the cabin for four of the club,--two in the
berths, and two on the floor between them. Dory decided to sleep in the
standing-room, where he was most likely to be waked by any change in the
position of the schooner. By eight o'clock all hands were fast asleep.
Half of them had nothing better than "the soft side of a board" to sleep
on, but they were too tired to need beds of down.

The skipper was the most wakeful sleeper in the party, but he slept for
several hours without waking. When he did wake, he sprang to his feet as
if conscious that he had neglected his duty as a faithful skipper. He
had no idea of what time it was when he sprang to his feet. All was
still around him, and the Goldwing appeared to be in precisely the
positio