ders, Fred made his way below.
He was very weak after his ordeal and it was with a great sigh of relief
that he sank into his bunk.

"What made you climb down?" demanded Pop.

"Well," said Fred, "I just had to. I knew that if I didn't do it then I
never would have the nerve to try again. I felt so foolish to have
caused all the trouble I did and I knew they'd all think me an awful
landlubber. I felt as if I ought to square myself."

"You did that all right," said Grant heartily. "The whole crew is crazy
about you now, and String and Pop and I are certainly in the shade."

"I don't mind that part of it," said Pop. "All I say is, don't do it
again. I couldn't stand another ten minutes like those."

"And I tell you one thing," said Grant. "It's lucky for you that the
_Josephine_ had been brought up into the wind. If we had been
tacking or beating or something like that you'd never had hung so
quietly as you did."

"Are we anchored now?" asked Fred.

"Yes," said Grant. "We're going to stay here until the wind changes."

"When do you suppose that will be?"

"The captain says it'll probably swing around to the west to-night. As
soon as it does we will get under way again."

"They can't do it too soon to suit me," exclaimed String. "I want to be
out on the ocean, where you can't see a bit of land in any direction."

"That'll happen soon enough, once we get started," said Grant. "Then
we'll probably wish we were on shore again."

At this moment the cook appeared with a bowl of smoking hot soup for
Fred. The cook was named Sam and was as black as ebony.

"Wh'ars dat high diver?" he demanded as he entered the cabin.

"You mean me?" smiled Fred.

"I sho' do," said Sam. "You suttinly is some acrobat."

"Not again, I hope," said Fred fervently. "I hope my troubles are over."

As a matter of fact his troubles and his companions' had scarcely begun.

CHAPTER III

A SUPERSTITIOUS COOK

"Ah's afraid ob dis heah boat," said Sam as he handed the soup to Fred
and settled himself on the side of the bunk opposite.

"Afraid of it?" exclaimed Fred. "Why?"

"She's got de hoodoo," said Sam decidedly.

"Why, Sam," said Fred. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's got de hoodoo, dat's all."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because Ah feels dat way."

"But why do you feel that way?"

"Dey's a Jonah on board."

"You think so?"

"Ah sho' do," said Sam, nodding his ebony head violently up and down.
"Ah seen him