Under her skilful
manipulation the "Sister Sue" was making fairly good headway, though
nothing like what she had done on the outward voyage, for the wind was
dying out, becoming more fitful, shifting from one point of the
compass to another.
"When the wind moves opposite to the direction of the hands of a
clock--what seamen call 'against the clock'--look out for foul
weather," 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 to
the northeast. That he was not pleased with his observation Harriet
was confident. Again he took a long look at the barometer, glanced at
the compass to see that she was on her course, then, thrusting his
hands 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 dead
calm now."
The waves had taken on an oily appearance and there were no longer
white crests on the rollers. The "Sister Sue" rolled and plunged in a
sickening way, the boom swinging from side to side. All hands were in
the cockpit or cabin, however, so that there was no danger of their
being hit by the swinging boom.
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