"You speak of that ship as if she were a person," objected Ruth.
"And so she is!" Alice exclaimed. "A ship is always a lady, isn't she, Paul?"
"She ought to try to be, at least," he laughed. "How about it, Russ? Shall we take the girls over to the schooner?"
"Might as well, I guess. It won't take long, and it isn't far."
A short time later the four of them stood at the gangplank of the Mary Ellen. They saw no signs of any men on deck, but they were doubtless below, making the repairs, which must be nearly finished.
"Come on," said Russ, leading the way. "We'll go aboard."
As they stood on deck, looking about them, they saw no one, but the companionway was in plain sight, and they started toward it, intending to go down into the main cabin.
The place was rather dimly lighted, but when their eyes had become used to the gloom, they caught sight of a solitary figure in the forward end of the main compartment.
"It's Jack Jepson," whispered Alice to her companions. "We'll give him a surprise. Keep quiet now. His back is toward me and I'll tiptoe up behind him and put my hands over his eyes. I'll make him guess who it is. He'll think some British suffragette has taken him on that silly charge of mutiny," she went on.
"Be careful," admonished Ruth. "No pranks, Alice."