"What does this mean?" he asked, and his voice was stern.
"We—we are getting ready for an—an emergency," faltered Miss Pennington.
"Well, there won't be any emergency—at least not for a while," the commander said grimly "We are doing very well. If you want to be uncomfortable do so, and put on those cork jackets. But there is no need of it. I'll give you plenty of warning if the ship is likely to founder, and we'll lower the boats."
"Is there any real danger, Captain?" asked Mr. DeVere.
"Well, of course there always is, in a storm at sea. But we are in no more danger than hundreds of others. This is a wooden ship, and it will be a long time sinking, even if it gets to that point, which is far off. We haven't leaked a drop yet, and we're running before the storm nicely. You need have no fears."
"That's what I thought!" exclaimed Alice, with a look at the two former stage actresses.
"Humph!" sniffed Miss Dixon. "Any one would think you were a sailor."
"She's a good deal better 'n some," said Jack Jepson coming into the cabin then to report something to Captain Brisco.
"Then you would not advise us to put on life preservers?" asked Mr. DeVere.
"Not now, at least," the captain replied. "I have done everything possible, and the only thing now is to run before the storm. We are in good shape. The Mary Ellen is a better craft than I gave her credit for being. The only thing to do is to wait, and hope for the best."