But some time before evening haze gathered along the sealine and hid the main shore and Hackle Island, too. Nobody expected a sea spell, however, from this mild warning—not even Skipper Pandrick.
"This is a time of light airs, if unsettled," he said. "Thunderstorms ashore don't often bother ships at sea. There's lightning in them clouds without a doubt, but like enough we won't know anything about it."
It was true the Marigold's company was not disturbed in the least during the evening. After dinner the heavy mist drove them below and they played games, turned on the talking machine, and sang songs until bedtime. Sometime in the night Jessie woke up enough to realize that there was an unfamiliar noise near.
"Do you hear it?" she demanded, poking Amy in the berth over her head.
"Hear what?" snapped Amy. "I do wish you would let me sleep. I was a thousand miles deep in it. What's the noise?"
"Why," explained Jessie, puzzled, "it sounds like a cow."
"Cow? Huh! I hope it's a contented cow, I do, or else the milk may not be good for your coffee."
"She doesn't sound contented," murmured Jessie. "Listen!"