The Meadow-Brook Girls by the Sea; Or, The Loss of The Lonesome Bar

by Janet Aldridge

  CHAPTER XXI

  AN ANXIOUS OUTLOOK

  "Come out, girlth, and thee the thhip," shouted Tommy, poking her headinto the cabin.

  "Go away and don't bother me," groaned Margery. "Can't you see howsick I am?"

  "Ithn't that too bad?" deplored Tommy, withdrawing her face with amost unsympathetic grin. All those on deck were watching the blacksmudge on the horizon, and as they gazed it grew into a great, darkcloud. Out of the cloud, after a time, they saw white foam flashingin the sunlight, caused by the displacement of the great ship as sheforged through the summer seas.

  "Shall we pass near her?" questioned Miss Elting.

  "We're right on her course," replied the skipper. "We'll turn outsoon, for she won't shift her position an inch unless she thinks we'regoing to run into her. Let your boat off a point to starboard, MissBurrell."

  "Aye, aye," answered Harriet promptly, shifting the wheel slightly,eyes fixed on the trembling compass card. The shift of position threwthe wind directly abeam. It was now blowing squarely against thequarter, causing the sloop to heel down at a sharp angle. The boatfairly leaped forward, her lee rail almost buried in a smother offoam. The eyes of the girl at the wheel sparkled with pleasure. It wasglorious. Harriet Burrell could not remember to have enjoyed a happiermoment.

  "They are watching us," announced the captain, who had been examiningthe oncoming ship through his glass. "They think we may be coming outto speak to them," he added with a chuckle.

  "We don't thpeak thhipth in the daylight," answered Tommy, drawing aquick glance from the captain. Harriet gave her a warning look, thendevoted her attention to steering the course, glancing at the oncomingship every now and then.

  "Swing out," directed Captain Billy. "She throws a heavy swell. Wewill cut across it at right angles passing under her stern. I'll tellyou when to swing in so we'll just make it. Now, can you see thepeople?"

  "Yes, yes!" cried the girls.

  The huge red and black funnels belching clouds of dense black smokewere now plainly visible, as were the towering upperworks of the ship,and the bridge high in the air.

  "Swing in," commanded the "Sue's" skipper.

  Harriet put the helm hard over. The sloop responded quickly. Now thespray dashed over the boat in a drenching shower, bringing shouts ofglee from the Meadow-Brook Girls. The move in a few minutes broughtthem so close to the big ship that the girls could look into the freshsea-blown faces of the passengers who crowded the rails on that sideof the liner. It seemed as if the sloop must crash into the side ofthe larger boat. Harriet glanced inquiringly at Captain Billy, whonodded encouragingly, from which she understood that there was nocause for alarm.

  The girls were now waving their handkerchiefs and shouting to theamazed passengers, who could not understand why a party in so frail acraft should be met with far out to sea, how far few of those on theship knew. They did know that they were out of sight of land, whichmade the marvel all the greater.

  "Point in closer," commanded Captain Billy.

  Harriet swung in still more. The "Sister Sue" buried her nose in thefoamy, eddying wake of the liner close under the counter, so close, infact, that the girls could see the water boiling over the twinpropellers and hear their beat. The next moment they had passed herand were on the open, rolling sea again, with the big ship threshingher way toward New York, rapidly widening the gap between herself andthe venturesome little craft. For the moment that they had beenblanketed by the steamer their sails had flattened and they had lostheadway, but now the wind picked them up, the sails bellied and thelittle sloop continued on her way.

  "We must turn now," said the skipper, consulting the skies, which heswept with a comprehensive glance. He gave Harriet the return course."I fear we are going to lose the wind. It will pick up later, however.No need to be anxious." He stepped inside the cabin and, leaningforward, consulted the barometer. Harriet noted that his face wore alook of anxiety for the moment. But it had entirely disappeared whenhe returned to the deck. Once more he swept the horizon.

  "How is the glass?" she asked, but in a voice too low for hercompanions to hear. Harriet referred to the barometer.

  "It has fallen over an inch in two hours," answered Captain Billy.

  "That is a big drop, isn't it?"

  "I should say so. But don't say anything to the others," he added,with a quick glance at the girls to see if any had overheard eitherhis or Harriet Burrell's remarks.

  "It means a blow, does it not?"

  "Yes. But it may be a long way off, possibly a hundred miles or more."

  "Then, again, we may be right in the center of it?" she questioned.

  The skipper nodded again.

  "Is there anything to be done?"

  "Nothing except to make all the time we can and keep a weather eyealoft and abroad. Watch your sails and trim them for every breath ofair. Jockey her. Now is your time to see what can be done when thereis little wind to be had."

  Harriet was getting practical experience in sailing a boat such asfalls to few novices, but she took to the work like one who had longbeen used to the sea and its varying moods. Under her skilfulmanipulation the "Sister Sue" was making fairly good headway, thoughnothing like what she had done on the outward voyage, for the wind wasdying out, becoming more fitful, shifting from one point of thecompass to another.

  "When the wind moves opposite to the direction of the hands of aclock--what seamen call 'against the clock'--look out for foulweather," the captain informed her.

  "That is the way it is going now, isn't it?"

  "Yes."

  "I hope we shall have enough to take us home."

  "We may have too much." Once more the skipper studied the horizon tothe northeast. That he was not pleased with his observation Harrietwas confident. Again he took a long look at the barometer, glanced atthe compass to see that she was on her course, then, thrusting hishands into his pockets, studied the rigging overhead.

  "We aren't making much headway, are we?" questioned Miss Elting.

  "None at all," was the, to her, surprising reply; "we're in a deadcalm now."

  The waves had taken on an oily appearance and there were no longerwhite crests on the rollers. The "Sister Sue" rolled and plunged in asickening way, the boom swinging from side to side. All hands were inthe cockpit or cabin, however, so that there was no danger of theirbeing hit by the swinging boom. In the cabin was heard a series ofgroans more agonized than before. The guardian had recovered in ameasure, though they observed that she was very pale. The fresh airoutside revived her somewhat.

  "I wish you to tell me frankly if there is any danger?" she demanded.

  "Not yet," was the skipper's evasive answer.

  "Meaning that there may be later?"

  "We may be late getting home," he replied. "I can't say any more thanthat now. Ugh!"

  Harriet Burrell saw him gazing off to the northeast. She followed thedirection of his glance, and saw a purplish haze hanging heavily onthe horizon. As she gazed the purple haze seemed to grow darker and toincrease in size. The sight disturbed her, though she did not knowwhy. The sea now made little noise. A flock of seagulls could beplainly heard honking high overhead, and a chattering flock of stormypetrels soared down, coming to rest on the water in the wake of thesloop.

  "I'll take in the jibs. Mind your wheel. We are in for a blow,"announced the skipper.