_Mary Ellen_ was, at
the same time, buffeting about the smaller motorboat. When she lost
headway by the stopping of her engine she no longer took the seas head,
or bow, on. She fell into the trough, and was in imminent danger of
being swamped.

"We've got to bring her up, the first thing we do," Russ decided. "What
we need is a drag anchor. That will bring her head on to the waves, and
we can ride them better until help comes."

"Will help ever come?" asked the actor, despondently.

"Of course it will. Or else we'll find the schooner, or they us!"
responded Russ.

While he was talking, he was looking about for something to use as a
drag anchor.

"That will do!" Russ decided as he saw a heavy wooden box. "I'll use
that." Quickly he tied a rope to it, and tossed the box out.

"This is better!" exclaimed Russ. "Now let's take an account of stock,
and see what else we can do. We may be here for some time."

"We can't live very long in this awful weather!" groaned, rather than
spoke, Mr. Sneed.

"Oh, don't give up so easily," said Russ.

But when the storm grew worse, and the tiny craft was buffeted about,
shipping considerable water, even stout-hearted Russ was not as hopeful
as he had been. He had stowed the camera in a safe place, and put the
films in a water-tight box well forward. Then the only thing to do was
to wait. In vain he scanned the sea through the storm for a sight of the
schooner. He could catch no glimpse of her.

Meanwhile the lookout on the _Mary Ellen_ was eagerly watching for any
signs of the _Ajax_, but he had even less chance of seeing her than Russ
and Mr. Sneed did of sighting the larger vessel.

The storm was constantly growing worse. As old Jack had said, the
schooner had actually been caught in the very vortex of it, but the
whirling motion, imparted by the meeting of two different wind
currents, had been the saving of the craft. She had been shunted to the
outer edge, as a cork, going around in a whirlpool, is sometimes tossed
to safety by the very violence of the motion.

Then she had scudded before the gale.

All that night they scudded before the storm, not knowing where they
were, and when morning came there was a wild and tumultuous waste of
waters all about them. Alice ventured up on deck, against the advice of
her father and sister.

She saw Jack Jepson and some sailors amidships. They seemed to be in
earnest consultation. Alice drew near them, intending to ask if there