gest the idea of a considerable storm, and the wind, as it
whistled through the rigging, carried in its sound a menace which would
have been altogether wanting in a bright night. The boys all felt
convinced that a storm was rising, and looked forward to a dismal
experience of the pangs of seasickness. To fight this off now became
their chief aim, and with this intention they all hurried below once
more to their beds.

But the water was not rough, the motion of the schooner was gentle, and
though there was much noise above, yet they did not notice any approach
of the dreaded sea-sickness, and so in a short time they all fell
asleep once more.

But they were destined to have further interruptions. The interruption
came this time in a loud cry from Solomon, which waked them all at once.

"Get up, chil'en! get up! It's all over!"

"What, what!" cried the boys; "what's the matter?" and springing up in
the first moment of alarm, they stood listening.

As they stood, there came to their ears the roaring of the wind through
the rigging, the flapping of the sails, the dashing and roaring of the
waters, in the midst of which there came also a shrill, penetrating
sound, which seemed almost overhead--the sound of some steam whistle.

"Dar, dar!" cried Solomon, in a tone of deadly fear. "It's a comin! I
knowed it. We're all lost an gone. It's a steamer. We're all run down
an drownded."

Without a word of response, the boys once more clambered on deck. All
was as dark as before, the fog as thick, the scene around as
impenetrable, the wind as strong. From a distance there came over the
water, as they listened, the rapid beat of a steamboat's paddles, and
soon there arose again the long, shrill yell of the steam whistle.
They looked all around, but saw no sign of any steamer; nor could they
tell exactly in which direction the sound arose. One thought it came
from one side, another thought it came from the opposite quarter, while
the others differed from these. As for Captain Corbet, he said nothing,
while the boys were expressing their opinions loudly and confidently.

At last Bart appealed to Captain Corbet.

"Where is the steamer?"

"Down thar," said the captain, waving his hand over the stern.

"What steamer is it? the revenue steamer?"

"Not her. That revenoo steamer is up to Windsor by this time. No; this
is the St. John steamer coming up the bay, an I ony wish she'd take us
an give us a tow up."

"She se