great difficulty, down into the cabin.

Here the feeling of sea-sickness, which the excitement of the scene had
kept off, increased rapidly; and they were glad to slip off their upper
clothes, and to throw themselves upon their berths before the paroxysm
of sickness came on.

When questioned afterwards as to the events of the next thirty-six
hours, the young Hardys were all obliged to confess that that time was
a sort of blank in their memory,--a sort of horrible nightmare, when one
moment they seemed to be on their heads, and the next upon their feet,
but never lying down in a comfortable position, when sometimes the top
of the cabin seemed under their feet, sometimes the floor over their
head. Then, for a change, everything would go round and round; the
noise, too, the groaning and the thumping and the cracking, the thud of
the waves and the thump of the paddles, and the general quivering, and
shaking, and creaking, and bewilderment;--altogether it was a most
unpleasant nightmare. They had all dim visions of Mr. Hardy coming in
several times to see after them, and to give them a cup of tea, and to
say something cheering to them; and all four had a distinct idea that
they had many times wished themselves dead.

Upon the second morning after the storm began, it showed some signs of
abating, and Mr. Hardy said to his sons, 'Now, boys, make an effort and
come upon deck; it's no use lying there; the fresh air will do you
good.' Two dismal groans were the only response to this appeal.

'Yes, I know that you both feel very bad, and that it is difficult to
turn out; still it is worth making the effort, and you will be very glad
of it afterwards. Come, jump up, else I shall empty the water-jug over
you. There, you need not take much trouble with your dressing,' he went
on, as the boys, seeing that he was in earnest, turned out of their
berths with a grievous moan. 'Just hold on by something, and get your
heads over the basin; I will empty the jugs on them. There, now you will
feel better; slip on your clothes and come up.'

It was hard work for Charley and Hubert to obey orders, for the ship
rolled so tremendously that they could only proceed with their dressing
by fits and starts, and were more than once interrupted by attacks of
their weary sea-sickness. However, their father stayed with them,
helping and joking with them until they were ready to go up. Then,
taking them by the arm, he assisted them up the stairs to the