If she, or any of the rest of the party, had only looked at the sky! But if they had, I dare say they would have made nothing of it. There were clouds scudding about up there like shadowy sail-boats, and the sun had to fight his way through them, till by and by he gave it up entirely, and never so much as peeped out. By that time it was decidedly bad weather; the light had to be sifted through heavy gray curtains. This made such a difference with the appearance of everything! The world, which had looked, an hour ago, so gay and light-hearted, was now rather gloomy. The waves, instead of sparkling, only foamed and bubbled; indeed they grew larger every moment, for the wind was blowing a gale. The white sea-gulls hovered over the bay, flapping their wings; and Dotty had never liked sea-gulls. She began to grow a very little uneasy. "It was naughty for _us_ to come," thought she, anxious to divide the sin with her companions; "_we_ ought to have minded our mothers." If the sky had continued fair, it may be Dotty would not have felt so guilty, though you and I know the weather had nothing to do with the sin; disobedience is disobedience always, whether it rains or shines. The little Jewess grew very pale, said she was dizzy, and wished to change places with Dotty. "Keep still, can't you, girls?" cried Johnny; "if you fuss round so the boat'll be sure to upset." Johnny looked as dignified as if he had navigated ships across the Atlantic Ocean over and over again; but then, alas! his arms were so little! I suppose his paddle had nearly as much effect as if it had been an iron spoon; and he probably knew as much about boating as he did about the dead languages. Solly and Freddy were several years older, and considerably wiser; but the wisdom of all these five children, if it had been compounded together, would not have amounted to the wisdom of the three wise men of Gotham who went to sea in a bowl. "O, dear!" screamed Dotty. "O, dear! dear! _dear!_" cried Lina; "the water rolls in over the top!" "Can't you steer for the shore, Solly Rosenbug?" said Dotty. "You hadn't oughter made us come," sobbed Lina. Johnny joined the mournful chorus. "There goes my hat! You were in pretty business knocking it off my head, Dot Dimple!" "I never; and I didn't mean to," replied Dotty, too much subdued to retort with her usual spirit. "Fish it out with the paddle," remarked Solly, coolly. This was intended as a joke, for the hat was already bounding far, far away over the waste of waters. Dotty knew she should always be accused of losing it, though in her secret soul she was sure the wind had blown it off. But a new hat, as we all know, is a mere trifle when we have gone to sea in a bowl! The first thing we think of is how to get home. "Ahem!" ejaculated Solly, at last, "if you are really afraid, Lina, I suppose we'd better go ashore!" Lina clapped her hands. "O, do! do! do!"