"Have you been on deck this morning, Mr. Harnash?" asked the captain.
"Yes, I have."
"How many boats did you see?"
"By Jove!" exclaimed Harnash, "I forgot that."
"Of course," said the captain, smiling grimly at his own sarcasm; "and a landlubber like you, meaning no offense, sir, wouldn't be apt to notice it, but the deck has been swept clean. The bridge is still there, and the smoke stacks, but pretty much everything else is gone. There's not a boat left at the davits, and even the launch amidships is badly stove up."
"A raft?" said old Maynard.
"There's not much woodwork in this boat fit to make a raft out of, sir," answered the captain, "but I've got the men at work on the wooden fittings and doors trying to patch up something."
"Of course, we're not in any immediate danger," said Stephanie.
"Depends upon what you mean by 'immediate,' Miss Maynard. The yacht will float for twenty-four hours; perhaps thirty-six."
"Then, after that, we shall be in God's hands," said the girl quietly.