Part 30 (1/2)

”I don't know, Miss. Forget it.”

”Do you thuppothe it hath anything to do with the 'Thilly Thue' going out in the night?”

Captain Billy gripped the sheet that he was wrapping about a cleat, his red face took on a deeper shade, his eyes grew menacing. But Tommy refused to see anything threatening in either att.i.tude or gaze. She chuckled gleefully.

”Oh, I can keep a thecret. I haven't told anything, have I?” laughed Tommy as she ran back to her companions, her eyes bright and sparkling. ”I made him thit up and not.i.the thingth,” she chuckled in Harriet's ear. ”You watch him, and thee how mad he lookth when he cometh back here.”

The expression on the face of the skipper bore out all that Tommy had said of him. Harriet rebuked her, and demanded to know what she had said, but Tommy laughed merrily and ran into the cabin.

The ”Sue” was getting well out to sea now. The sh.o.r.e line was sinking gradually into the sea. The land had become a faint, purplish blur in the distance, a strong, salty breeze was blowing across the sloop and the Atlantic rollers were becoming longer. The ”Sue” was beginning to roll heavily, rising and falling to the accompaniment of creaking boom, rattling mast rings and flapping jibs. Keeping on one's feet was becoming more and more difficult with the pa.s.sing of the moments.

”Oh, help!” moaned Margery, in an anguished voice.

”What ith the matter!” demanded Tommy, squinting quizzically at her companion, whose face was deathly pale.

”Oh, I'm so ill,” moaned Buster. Then she toppled over into the c.o.c.kpit, where she lay moaning. Miss Elting and Hazel picked her up, carried her into the cabin and placed her on one of the cus.h.i.+oned locker seats. Margery promptly rolled off with the next lurch of the sloop. ”I wish I were dead!” she moaned.

”Cheer up! The wortht ith yet to come,” cooed Tommy.

”Do you think this is perfectly safe?” questioned Miss Elting, after having staggered outside. ”The sea is very rough and we are a long way from sh.o.r.e.”

”Not at all, Miss,” replied the captain. ”This is a very fine sea.

Why, this boat could go through a hurricane and never leak a drop. You see, we are taking no water aboard at all. Where will you find a boat as dry as this, I'd like to know?”

Thus rea.s.sured, the guardian felt better about their situation, though she began to feel dizzy and a few moments later was forced to join Margery in the cabin. Buster was still on the cabin floor, unable to keep on the locker seat. She was tossing from side to side with every roll of the sloop. Four other girls from the camp by this time had sought what comfort was to be had in the cabin. Outside, Jane, Harriet, Tommy, Hazel and the skipper were taking their full measure of the enjoyment of the hour. Harriet got out a basket of food, and, bracing herself against the combing, proceeded to eat. Her companions on deck joined her. Tommy carried a roast beef sandwich into the cabin.

”Have a nithe, fat thandwitch with me?” she asked.

Dismal groans greeted her invitation. Harriet called her back.

”You shouldn't have done that, Tommy,” she rebuked. ”It was most unkind of you. How would you like to be aggravated if you were seasick?”

”If I got theathick I'd detherve to be teathed. Oh, thee the gullth.”

A flock of white gulls was circling over the ”Sister Sue.” Harriet flung overboard a handful of crumbs, whereat the birds swooped down, rode the swells and greedily picked up the crumbs. They started up and soon overtook the sloop. For an hour the girls fed them; then, the crumbs being exhausted, the gulls soared out to sea in search of other craft and food.

For some time the sailing party had been so fully engaged with their own affairs that they had given little thought to their surroundings.

They now began to look about them.

”The land has disappeared!” cried Harriet. ”We are out of sight of land. Isn't this splendid? How far are we out from home, Captain?”

”Nearly forty miles,” he answered, after consulting the log. ”Want to go back?”

”Oh, no! Let's keep on going. How I wish we could keep on forever in this way.”

”We will go on until we meet a s.h.i.+p that is due here.”

”A s.h.i.+p! Oh, where?” cried the girls.