"Oh, it's great sport!" cried Tab heartily. "Besides, you know, there are no end of things to do."
"Such as what?" inquired Mrs. Fairhew. "I've always found the ocean voyage the most boresome thing about traveling, although I'm a perfectly good sailor."
"Oh," said Jerry, with a flourish of his cigarette,—for coffee had been served and the ladies had permitted smoking,—"there are rope-ends to be attended to, and gear changed, and all that sort of thing, besides seeing that the men go over the brasswork properly every day; and there is taking sights, and making reckonings, and all sorts of things."
"But I thought the men did all the work on the ropes and things."
"So they do," Jack said, with a smile; "but it is our business to tell them what to do and to see that they do it. You must remember that we are the ship's officers."
"We have to look things over all the time," Jerry added. "Just before we went ashore to-day I saw a thing that'll have to be attended to as soon as we get back at anchor. The fore-peak halyards are 'most chafed through where they reeve through the block on the cap."
"Dear me!" said Mrs. Fairhew. "Is it dangerous?"
"Not in the least dangerous," Jack returned reassuringly. "Is it really bad, Tab?"
"Oh, well, I fancy it'll hold; leastways if there's no sudden strain on it. The rope's new enough; but it jammed there the other day, you remember."
"Well, let's go on deck," suggested the captain. "It's such a gorgeous day, it's a shame to miss any of it."