"Good morning, all!" said Mr. Mizzen. "Glad to see the passengers come to life again! Nothing like the open sea, lady and gentlemen!"
"Are you sure it's perfectly safe?" said Aunt Amanda.
"Perfectly safe, ma'am. A tight little bark is The Sieve, provided the dippers hold out. Most of the men is below now, baling out the water with their dippers, and the ship ain't leaking more than ordinary—yet. Of course you never can tell what may happen, but there's plenty of dippers, unless we should founder in a storm, or split up on the rocks, or——"
"Mercy on us!" cried Aunt Amanda. "I wish we hadn't come. If I only had some sewing with me."
"Would you mend socks, ma'am?"
"Oh, that would be lovely! And I could look after the men's shirts, too, and count the laundry when it comes home, and—I'm sure we are going to have a delightful voyage! I feel better already. I don't believe there's any danger after all. It's all nonsense about the ship's leaking."
"Who's your f-f-f-friends, L-l-lem?" shrieked a voice from Mr. Mizzen's wrist.
Everyone started, and looked in amazement at the
parrot, whose head was perked sideways up at Mr. Mizzen's face.
"L-l-lem!" shrieked the parrot, stuttering terribly. "Who's your f-f-f-friends?"