ion was worried before even he focused his glasses upon the
distant motor-boat.

CHAPTER XXIII

TROUBLE--PLENTY

Even Ruth Fielding had paid no attention to the warning of the Reef Island
hermit regarding a change in the weather, in spite of the fact that she
was anxious to return to the camp near Herringport. It was not until the
_Stazy_ was outside the inlet late in the afternoon that Skipper Phil
Gordon noted the threatening signs in sea and sky.

"That's how it goes," the one-armed mariner said. "When we aren't
dependent on the wind to fill our canvas, we neglect watching every little
weather change. She's going to blow by and by."

"Do you think it will be a real storm?" asked Ruth, who sat beside him at
the steering wheel and engine, watching how he managed the mechanism.

"Maybe. But with good luck we will make Beach Plum Point long before it
amounts to anything."

The long graybacks were rather pleasant to ride over at first. Even Aunt
Kate was not troubled by the prospect. It was so short a run to the
anchorage behind the Point that nobody expressed fear.

When the spray began to fly over the bows the girls merely squealed a bit,
although they hastily found extra wraps. If the _Stazy_ plunged and
shipped half a sea now and then, nobody was made anxious. And soon the
Point was in plain view.

To make the run easier, however, Skipper Gordon had sailed the motor-yacht
well out to sea. When he shifted the helm to run for the entrance to the
bay, the waves began to slap against the _Stazy's_ side. She rolled
terrifically and the aspect of affairs was instantly changed.

"Oh, dear me!" moaned Jennie Stone. "How do you feel, Henri? I did not
bargain for this rough stuff, did you? Oh!"

"'Mister Captain, stop the ship, I want to get off and walk!'" sang Helen
gaily. "Don't lose all hope, Heavy. You'll never sink if you do go
overboard."

"Isn't she mean?" sniffed the plump girl. "And I am only afraid for
Henri's sake."

"I don't like this for my own sake," murmured Aunt Kate.

"Are you cold, dear?" her niece asked, with quick sympathy. "Here! I don't
really need this cape with my heavy sweater."

She removed the heavy cloth garment from her own shoulders and with a
flirt sought to place it around Aunt Kate. The wind swooped down just then
with sudden force. The _Stazy_ rolled to leeward.

"Oh! Stop it!"

Bulging under pressure of the wind, the cape flew over the rail. Jennie
tried to clutc