daddy at
dinner," she added to her sister.

Alice assented and looked around, as though in search of someone.

"What is it?" Ruth asked.

"I was looking for Jack, to say good-bye. There he is over there," and
she pointed to the old man polishing the brass work of the binnacle in
front of the steering wheel. "I'm going over and speak to him," she
added.

Jack Jepson had his back toward Alice, and was not aware of her
approach. She heard him murmuring to himself, and the words sounded
strange to her--as strange as the first ones she had overheard from him
that day.

"It'll never do! It'll never do!" Jack Jepson was saying. "It's criminal
wrong, that's what it is. But I'll jest keep a sharp watch, an' at the
first sign of danger, I'll--"

Then he heard the footfall of Alice on the deck, and turned quickly. He
smiled at her, and the smile was in strange contrast to his rather
ominous words. As Alice knew very little about the sea or boats, she
paid no attention.

"I came to bid you good-bye," she said. "We are going back to New York
now, but we'll soon be aboard here for a long stay, I hope. My, how nice
everything looks!"

"Yes, but it--it's too nice!" exclaimed Jack.

"Too nice? What do you mean?" she asked wonderingly.

"Oh, well, nothing, Miss Alice. You wouldn't understand. I'm glad to see
you. This isn't a mate's work, properly speakin'," he said, as he
indicated the box of polish, "but then we haven't started discipline
yet. We'll do that at sea."

"And I'll hope we'll soon be out on the deep," voiced Alice.

A week later the entire moving picture company that was to take part in
the marine drama assembled at the dock where the _Mary Ellen_ had been
refitted for her last voyage. Stores and provisions had been put aboard,
the _Ajax_ lay stowed in the cradle on deck, and the members of the
company, the moving picture operators and the manager and his
assistants, had sent their baggage aboard. There was plenty of extra
film.

"All aboard!" called Captain Brisco, and the gangplank was about to be
hauled in. "All aboard! We won't wait for him!" he went on, speaking to
the first mate and to Mr. Pertell who stood near him.

"Won't wait for whom?" Alice heard Mr. Pertell ask.

"A new hand I hired at the last minute. He's a good navigator, better
than Jepson, and that's why I took him on. But he isn't here, and so
we'll go without him."

"Not short-handed, are you?" asked the manager, rather anxiously.