The Search for the Silver City | Page 9

A NEW DANGER.
To the frightened boys in the cabin it was as if the night would never
come to an end, and during every one of those fearful moments they
believed the yacht was on the point of taking the final plunge.
At four o'clock in the morning the steamer's movements became more
regular; but not less in violence, and, shortly after, the sailing master
came below.
"We are laying-to," he said to Mr. Emery. "There is a nasty sea on, and

I didn't care to take the chances of fighting against it."
"How does she stand it?"
"Like a darling. 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 tumbling
about in such a furious manner."
"That was none of my business. I didn't ship before the mast,
consequently it ain't any duty of mine to go prowlin' 'round if the wind
happened to blow a little."
"If you call this a 'little' I wouldn't like to be on board when you
thought it was a regular gale," Teddy said with a laugh.
"I've seen the wind blow so hard that a fellow had to lash his hair down
to keep it from bein' carried away when he went on deck; but that didn't
stop my wantin' to get a watch below."
With this remark the steward, having finished his work, left the room,

and the boys were alone once more.
Although they had believed it would be impossible to sleep during a
gale such as the yacht was now laboring under, the eyes of both were
soon closed in slumber, not to be opened until late in the morning.
So far as could be told by the motion, there was no diminution in the
strength of the wind, and they experienced great difficulty in making
their toilets.
When this task had finally been accomplished, however, Neal said as
he opened the door after some trouble, owing to the erratic movements
of the yacht:
"I'm going on deck. It can't be much worse there, and it wouldn't be a
bad idea to see what the ocean looks like in a gale."
"I'll go too: but don't let's venture out of the