The time went by slowly, each hour seeming an age. Nobody felt like eating, and nothing was said about supper until nearly nine o'clock, when Dora opened the cabin door and called Dick: "We thought we would get to shore before eating," she said. "How much longer will we be out, do you think?" "There is no telling, Dora," he replied evasively. "No telling? Doesn't Captain Jerry know where we are?" "Hardly. You see it is so dark, and we can't make any headway with the mast gone." "How stupid of me! I should have known that. Shall we try to fix up some supper?" "You might pass some sandwiches. But, no, we had better come down, one at a time," returned Dick. This suggestion was carried out, Captain Jerry being the last to go down, leaving the wheel in the hands of Dick and Tom. "Don't ye let it git away from ye," was his caution. "If ye do it will be good-by, 'Liza Jane, an' all of us goin' slam bang to Davy Jones' locker!" From old Jerry the girls learned that they would probably have to remain on the yacht all night. "Don't ye git alarmed," he said. "The storm's goin' down, an' we'll come out all right when the sun rises." The prospect of remaining on the ocean all night was dismaying, and all of the girls wondered what Mrs. Stanhope would say when they did not return. "I know mother will be very much worried," said Dora soberly. It was decided by the boys that they should take turns at lying down, each being given two hours in which to rest. Sam was the first to turn in, but it is doubtful if he slept to any extent. Tom followed, and then came Dick. Captain Jerry declined, stating he could sleep when he had the party safe on shore once more. By morning the storm had taken another turn. It no longer rained, but the sky was murky, and there was a dense fog, which the wind blew first in one direction, and then another. They were still running to sea, with small prospect of being able to turn back. "This is certainly more than I bargained for," observed Dick to Tom, in a low voice. "To me it looks mighty serious." "Oh, the storm is bound to go down." "Yes, Tom, but how long do you suppose the provisions and water will last?" At this question Tom's face fell. "I hadn't thought of that, Dick. I don't suppose we have more than enough for to-day, have we?" "Well, we might make it last two days on a pinch--we brought quite a lot along. But after that--" "Do you think we'll have to stay out here more than two days?" demanded Sam. "I don't know what to think, Sam." "Can't we rig up some sort of a jury-mast?" "Captain Jerry mentioned that. We'll try." There was no stick on board of the _Old Glory_ outside of the bowsprit, and at last they decided to saw this off and put it up as a small mast. The task was no easy one, and just as the temporary mast was being fitted into place there came an extra heavy puff of wind which sent the yacht far over on her side.