went
down. That norther blew us a good way off our course, an' it's possible
Mr. Walters might have made a mistake in determinin' the position,
although it ain't exactly the proper thing for an engineer to set up
agin a first-class sailin' master."

"It won't take long to find out if this breeze holds, an' that's some
comfort," one of the sailors replied, and then the three men drew lots
to see which two should take a watch "below."

During the forenoon there was but little change in the condition of
affairs. The wind decreased until it was nothing more than a good
sailing breeze; but the expected calm did not come.

The boat reeled off the knots in fine style, despite the poor apology
for a sail, and the boys were allowed to change their position, which
they did by sitting on the after thwart.

About twelve o'clock Jake stretched himself out on the bottom for a nap,
awakening one of the sleepers that the man at the helm might have
assistance in case he should require it, and the boys alternately dozed
or searched the horizon in vain for some signs of the other boats.

Those who were hungry ate whenever it pleased them to do so, and there
was no lack of either food or water. Teddy would have talked with his
friend regarding the prospects of reaching home within a reasonable
length of time; but Neal was so anxious about his father that he could
speak of nothing else.

Toward the close of the day the wind freshened again, and, in obedience
to his previous orders, Jake was awakened, the man at the helm saying in
an apologetic tone:

"I can hold on here a good bit longer; but you wanted to know if there
was any change, an' there is. It looks to me as if we should have more
of a breeze than we had last night."

"No signs of land yet?"

"No sir; but the Cuban coast, if that's what we're headin' for, is so
low that we wouldn't be likely to raise it till we got close on."

Jake ate supper before taking his seat at the helm, and then the boys
were advised to lie down as on the preceding night.

"You'll be comfortable there, and won't stand so much of a chance of
gettin' wet."

It was evident that Jake wanted to have them out of the way, and both
obeyed at once, Teddy saying as he stretched himself out on the hard
boards:

"It seems as if my bones were coming through the skin, and I'm sore all
over."

"Things are not nearly as bad as they might be, so we musn't complain,"
Neal replied philosophically; but at t