"Put something around you, my boy," said his mother, "I don't want you to take cold."
"Let me get you a wrap," said Frank, smiling back at his mother, who was fanning herself with a folded newspaper.
"The wind is coming," said Guy Morris, and his serious face was a sharp contrast to the merry ones about him, "and it's no joke this time. Within ten minutes there'll be a stiff breeze, and within twenty a howling gale, or I'm no sailor."
As he spoke he was busily preparing to reef the mainsail, and he consulted hurriedly with the sailors.
At first no one could believe Guy's prophecies would come true, but in a few moments the cool breeze was distinctly felt, the sun went under a cloud, and the boat began to move. It was a sudden squall, and the clouds thickened and massed themselves into great hills of blackness; the water turned dark and began to rise in little threatening billows, the wind grew stronger and stronger, and then without warning the rain came. Thunder and lightning added to the excitement of the occasion, and in less than fifteen minutes the smooth sunny glare of water was at the mercy of a fearful storm.
The occupants of the boat seemed to know exactly how to behave in these circumstances. Mrs. Elliott and the girls of the party went down into the little cabin, which held them all, but which was very crowded.
Guy Morris took command, and the other boys, and men, too, for that matter, did exactly as he told them.
Ethelyn began to cry. This was really not surprising, as the girl had never before had such an experience and was exceedingly nervous as well as very much frightened.
Mrs. Elliott appreciated this, and putting her arm around the sobbing child, comforted her with great tact and patience.
The storm passed as quickly as it came. There had been danger, both real and plentiful, but no bad results attended, except that everybody was more or less wet with the rain.