“Oh yes,” I replied. “Why not?”
“I don’t know, I’m not a sailor, but I should not have thought the ship could have kept on long like this without sinking.”
I laughed.
“Why, she’s a splendid boat,” I said, “and quite strong, and so long as we’ve got plenty of sea-room, we shan’t hurt.”
“You’re talking like this to comfort me,” he said.
“No; I’m telling you the truth as far as I understand it. Of course I’ve never been out in a storm on the ocean before, but I’ve been in some big ones off the coast round Ireland, where we were always in danger of going on the rocks, which are awful there.”
“But the sea comes thundering down on the ship so.”
“What of that?” I replied. “The ship’s hollow, and it sounds all the more, but the water is soft, and we go through it or ride over it somehow.”
“Ah, you’re too young to know what fear is,” he said sadly.
“Oh no, I’m not,” I cried, laughing. “I’ve been awfully frightened several times to-night, but I’m more afraid of Jarette and his gang than I am of the sea.”