I was afraid of straining her at first; but when she
took the butt end of the storm in such a pleasant fashion there was no
longer any reason to fret about her."

"It didn't seem like such a very pleasant fashion to us," Teddy said to
Neal, who had succeeded in gaining a chair near his friend.

"It appeared to me as if she kicked pretty hard about it," Neal
replied, and then Mr. Emery asked:

"What are the weather indications?"

"There is no reason to hope for anything better until the wind blows
itself out, and according to my way of thinking that won't be within the
next twenty-four hours. Why don't you people lie down?"

"Because it has been a matter of impossibility to remain in the berths."

"You can do so now without much difficulty. Come, boys, let me help you
to turn in."

The calm, matter-of-fact way in which Mr. Walters acted caused the boys
to feel more comfortable in mind, and they made no protest when he
assisted them to the state-room where there was yet water enough to show
what had happened.

"Why didn't you call one of the stewards to mop this up?" the sailing
master asked as he lighted the swinging lamp.

"We haven't seen one since the gale begun," Neal replied with a laugh.
"I fancy they were as much frightened as Teddy and I."

"It won't take long to turn them out," and Mr. Walters started forward
in a manner which boded no good for the skulkers.

Neal and Teddy found little difficulty in retaining a recumbent
position, although the yacht was tossing up and down like a mad thing.
She no longer gave those sudden lurches which threatened to carry away
even the short spars, and for the first time since the deluge from the
port-hole, they began to feel really comfortable in mind.

The steward came in very shortly after Mr. Walters left, and from the
expression on his face it was evident he had been rated severely for
neglect of duty.

"It didn't make any difference to us whether the water was washed up or
not," Neal said in a friendly tone. "The sailing master saw it and asked
why we hadn't called you."

"He don't allow that a man has any right to sleep," the steward replied
sulkily. "If he'd been up since five o'clock, he'd want to turn in
before midnight instead of foolin' around the cabin till it was time to
begin another day's work."

"Is it possible that you have been sleeping?" Neal asked in surprise.

"Why not?"

"I don't see how you could even lie down while the yacht was tu