“The storm seems to have cleared away.”
“Yes, we’ve got nothing but a fair sailing breeze now, and with the drag of the screw I don’t fancy we are more than tossing about on the waves,” Ned replied, and then he added to Roy; “Suppose you turn to and get breakfast, old fellow? It’s pretty early, I know, but we shall feel the better for something hot in the way of grub. Now that Vance is awake there is nothing to prevent your staying below as long as may be necessary.”
The amateur cook acted upon the suggestion at once, and half an hour after he went into the kitchen the sun began to show himself above the horizon.
“Now hunt around the cabin where the sailing master slept for an almanac,” Ned said to Vance. “There must be one somewhere aboard.”
“What are you going to do with it? See what the weather prophets say about the weather?”
“I want to find out what time the sun rises, so we can set this clock.”
Vance hurried away to obey this order, and in a few minutes returned with the desired book, but it looked rather the worse for wear, owing to its having been soaked well in salt water.
After some difficulty Ned succeeded in gaining the information required, and to his surprise it was found that they had guessed within twenty minutes of the true time, or as nearly as could be judged from the coming of the day.
The hands of the clock were moved forward to where Ned thought they belonged, and then he looked round the horizon, now that it was sufficiently light to see surrounding objects, if indeed there were any.
At first glance it appeared as if they were alone upon the ocean.