n.

"Then why don't you try to be women!" snapped Alice.

"Hush, my dear," said her sister gently.

"I can't!" was the answer. "When I think of poor Russ----"

"I'm going to put on a life preserver," exclaimed Miss Pennington,
favoring Alice with a frosty stare.

"Perhaps that would be a good plan for us, my dears," said Mr. DeVere to
his daughters. "It can do no harm, at all events."

"No," admitted Alice. "But we appear to be all right--for the time
being, at least."

It seemed quieter up on deck now, for the sailors had ceased rushing
about adjusting the canvas, though there was still plenty of noise.
There was the rattle and bang of blocks, the whipping about of ends of
ropes, the slap, now and then, of the storm jib, as it was whipped back
and forth. Now and then a heavy sea would fall on deck with a crash.

At such times the _Mary Ellen_, stout as she was, would tremble from
stem to stern, and those in the cabin would shiver and look at one
another apprehensively.

"Come on, Laura," called Miss Pennington to her companion. "Let's take
all the precautions we can. We'll put on life preservers. But oh, I
daren't think of being in the water with all those sharks."

"Don't talk that way!" said Paul in a sharp whisper, as he saw Ruth
shrink back at the word "shark."

Miss Pennington did not deign to answer, but she and her friend were
soon struggling with the straps of a life preserver. At this moment
Captain Brisco came down into the cabin.

"What does this mean?" he asked, and his voice was stern.

"We--we are getting ready for an--an emergency," faltered Miss
Pennington.

"Well, there won't be any emergency--at least not for a while," the
commander said grimly "We are doing very well. If you want to be
uncomfortable do so, and put on those cork jackets. But there is no need
of it. I'll give you plenty of warning if the ship is likely to founder,
and we'll lower the boats."

"Is there any real danger, Captain?" asked Mr. DeVere.

"Well, of course there always is, in a storm at sea. But we are in no
more danger than hundreds of others. This is a wooden ship, and it will
be a long time sinking, even if it gets to that point, which is far off.
We haven't leaked a drop yet, and we're running before the storm nicely.
You need have no fears."

"That's what I thought!" exclaimed Alice, with a look at the two former
stage actresses.

"Humph!" sniffed Miss Dixon. "Any one would think you were a sailor."