She found Paul and Alice together—just as she half expected—and mentioned Russ's plan.
Paul was cast for a role in a little play that afternoon, but he spoke to Mr. Pertell about it, and the manager kindly postponed it, as it was not very important.
So, after lunch the four young people started for the place where the Ajax was being overhauled, not far from the dock of the Mary Ellen. On the way they talked of their plans when they should be at sea. It had been given out at the studio that they would all go aboard the Mary Ellen, which would be headed for the Florida coast. Somewhere off that peninsula, just where had not been decided, the moving pictures would be made, and the shipwreck would take place. The details had not yet been perfected.
"Are you going to travel alone in the motorboat?" asked Alice of Russ.
"No indeed. She is to be carried in a cradle on the deck of the Mary Ellen, and——"
"A cradle!" interrupted Alice. "Whoever heard of a boat being put in a cradle, as if it were a baby!"
"Well, the Ajax is going to be rocked in the cradle of the deep, isn't she?" asked Paul.
"Oh, what a heartless joke!" mocked Ruth.
"Just for that you'll be fined four ice cream sodas!" laughed Alice.
"No, but speaking seriously," went on Russ, "the Ajax will be cradled on the deck of the schooner; that is, the motorboat will be set in two V shaped affairs, called cradles. That's to prevent her rolling off into the high seas."