“No doubt, no doubt,” smiled the captain. “All night in an open boat is no pleasure trip, even if this is the month of June,” and he ordered them assigned quarters forward.
While by no means as large and pretentious as those on the Yucatan, the cabins were nevertheless clean and comfortable.
“We can thank our stars that we were fortunate enough to be picked up so soon,” declared Dick.
“What can have become of the other boats?” asked Mabel.
“Probably reached the Cuban shore,” replied Colonel Ashton. “We are doubtless the only ones that lost our course. The others more than likely stuck close together.”
“I hope they are all safe,” declared Shirley.
“I am sure they are,” returned her father.
“Now,” said Colonel Ashton, “the thing to be considered is, what to do when we reach Colon. Shall we take another steamer and continue our course, or shall we turn about and go home?”
“We don’t want to go home, Dad,” exclaimed Shirley. “You won’t give up the trip to San Francisco, will you?”
“No, I think not,” was the reply. “We can replenish our wardrobes in Colon sufficiently to get to Frisco, and we can do the rest of our buying there. No, we shall go on.”