"No, sir, you're mistaken," he answered; "it won't be that for two or three hours yet."
"Captain," called a voice that seemed to come from overhead, "please come up here, sir, and see if all is going well with the vessel."
Captain Raymond looked up. "I think I can trust matters to you for the present, my men," he said. "We are in a safe harbor and have little or nothing to fear."
"Papa, did somebody call you?" asked Ned.
"I rather think Cousin Ronald did," answered the captain; "but I don't intend to go to the deck to find him, or answer his call to it, while he sits here."
"No; what business has he to treat you so?" said a voice that sounded like a woman's. "He ought to be glad to see you sit down and take a rest occasionally."
"So he is," said Cousin Ronald, speaking in his natural tone and manner. "He is always glad to have such busy folks take a bit o' rest."
"But please don't you take a rest yet, Cousin Ronald; we want you to make some more fun for us first—if you're not too tired," said Ned, in coaxing tones.
"I am more than willing, laddie," returned the old gentleman pleasantly, "for fun is oft-times beneficial, particularly to little chaps such as you."
"I am bigger than I used to be," said Ned, "but I like fun quite as well as I ever did."