s in these days," Jim said.

"Oh, are they now, my noble philosopher?"

"Yes, Miss Saucy, they are!"

"What's that stretch of water east of us, with all the little islands
in it?" asked Dorothy, suddenly.

"That is Jamaica Bay," replied Mr. Ronald. "It lies across the
peninsula from Rockaway Beach."

"I thought Jamaica was in the West Indies, or some other forsaken
spot," said Molly.

"Come, come," chided Dr. Sterling. "Remember your geography."

"You certainly ought to know where the ginger comes from," said Jim,
in the same bantering spirit.

"Well, I guess I do, if anybody asks you, Mr. Barlow," she returned,
saucily. "But that's no sign I knew there was a Jamaica Bay in New
York State. My geography didn't teach me that."

"Of course it did," taunted the boy, "but you did not take the
trouble to remember it."

Further discussion of this unimportant subject was cut short by a
crash from the engine-room of the yacht, followed by a hissing noise
as of escaping steam, and the propeller, which was being driven at
many thousands of revolutions per minute, began suddenly to slow up.

A shriek from Aunt Betty drew Dorothy quickly to her side, while Mr.
Ronald cried out:

"Something has happened to the engine!"

Then he made a dash below decks, followed by Dr. Sterling, and, a few
seconds later, by Jim, who saw in the yacht's misfortune another
opportunity to satisfy his mechanical curiosity.

The boy reached the engine-room directly on the heels of Mr. Ronald
and Dr. Sterling, and saw the engineer and his assistant flat on
their backs trying to locate the trouble.

"Something apparently broke inside her, sir," the engineer was
saying, in response to a question from Mr. Ronald. "I can't say how
serious it is till we find it, sir."

"Then of course you do not know how long we shall be delayed?"

"No; I couldn't say, sir. Can't even promise that we can run in on
one pair of cylinders, sir, for they all seem to be affected alike."

At this a shadow overspread the owner's face and he turned to Dr.
Sterling.

"Sorry, Doc," he said. "What did you tell me about getting to town
before dark?"

"I merely mentioned the fact that Miss Calvert should be early to
bed, because she appears at a concert to-morrow evening, and it is
necessary that she feel as well as possible."

"It is after four now," said Mr. Ronald, looking at his watch,
"and I don't know what to tell you until Sharley--that's my
engineer--locat