“It’s after five,” said Dan, “but I thought you fellows might as well sleep awhile longer. We couldn’t see a boat anyhow, unless she bumped into us; it’s as thick as anything outside.” Nelson drew on his oilskins, closed the ports on the weather side, and followed Dan to the cockpit. The wind had passed around to the southwest, the sea had risen a good deal, and all sight of land was shut off by the rain squalls. It was what the fisherman would have called a “smoky sou’wester.” Nelson went forward and saw that the cable was fast, although it was no easy task to stay on the launch’s plunging bow. The water swept over the forward end of the cabin in spray every moment. “You go and take a nap,” said Nelson. “I’ll look out for her awhile.” “All right,” agreed Dan, “I guess I will. The fact is”—he grinned apologetically—“I’m feeling the motion a bit.” “I should say you were!” answered Nelson. “You’re as white as a sheet! Go on down and see if you can’t get to sleep.” “Well—is everything all right?” “Yes. This is only a squall, I guess. There’s no danger, anyway, although it’ll be pretty wet for awhile.” Dan went down and Nelson made himself comfortable in the lee of the cabin. It seemed earlier than it really was, but that was due to the clouds and rain squalls. At about six Bob put his head out, with surprise written large on his features. “What’s happened?” he asked. “Oh, a nice little blow from the sou’west,” answered Nelson. “The old _Vagabond_ thinks she’s doing a Highland fling.” “How long’s it going to last?” asked Bob, with a dubious look about him. “Not long, I guess. I hope not, anyhow, for we’re not likely to find a tow while it keeps up. Wake Tommy and get him to start breakfast, will you? A cup of hot coffee might taste nasty, but I don’t think so.” Bob’s eyes brightened as he drew back out of the wind to awaken the _chef_ and finish dressing; “hot coffee” surely has a grateful sound on a wet deck at six o’clock in the morning. And it tastes a whole lot nicer than it sounds; everyone would have agreed to that half an hour later, especially Nelson, who drank his coffee from a tin cup and ate his bacon and eggs from the top of the cabin, where the end of the tender sheltered the plate from the rain. “I’m just as well pleased that we didn’t try to go to New York with the others,” observed Bob after breakfast. “About this time they must be down around the mouth of Buzzard’s Bay, and I’ll bet it’s blowing up nasty there.” “Well, there was no danger of our getting there,” said Nelson. “Why?” “Because we had no gasoline, of course.” “That’s so; I’d forgotten that. But, say, I’m glad I’m not on the _Sue_ about this time!” “I wonder which will win,” said Dan. “So do I,” said Nelson. “Well, we’ll find out if we ever get to land. Hang this wind, anyway! Last night we might have used the tender and towed a bit, but we couldn’t do that now in this sea to save our lives.” “I hope it won’t be necessary to try it,” said Bob dryly.