“Well, turn on all the gas you can, Sis, and we’ll scud for it,” called Jack to his sister. “We may beat it out yet. If not, we can go ashore almost any place.”
“Except on the rocks,” spoke Cora. “The worst part will be round the point, in the open sea.”
“Oh, we’ll do it all right,” asserted Norton, confidently. “The wind isn’t rising much.”
The boats were close enough together so that talking from one to the other was easy. They were headed out toward the open sea, and as Cora guided her craft she could not help anticipating apprehensively the heavy rollers that would be encountered once they were out of the land-locked shelter. But the bow of the Pet was high. She was a good craft in rough weather, and as for the hired Duck, she was built for those waters.
“Let’s be jolly!” proposed Jack, for a glance at the girls in their boat had showed him that they were on the verge of hysterics. “Strike up a song, Ed.”
“Give us Nancy Lee,” suggested Walter.
“Nancy!” exclaimed Cora. “I wonder where that other Nancy is?”
“No telling,” declared Eline. “Oh dear! I hope it doesn’t rain. This dress spots so!” and she looked down at her rather light gown, which really she ought not to have worn on a water picnic. Cora had said as much, but Eline–well, it must be confessed that she was rather vain. She had good clothes and she liked to wear them, not always at appropriate times.
“It won’t rain!” asserted Jack. “Go ahead, Ed–sing!”
“‘Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep’ would be most appropriate,” voiced Norton. “We are rocking some.”