ely at what they were doing. Suddenly he turned to Alice and
asked:

"Is this craft to make a voyage all by herself?"

"A short one--yes," Alice answered, for she had looked over the
scenario. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothin'--nothin'--," answered Jack Jepson. "Only, oh, well, I
s'pose it's all right," he went on. But as he led the way forward Ruth
noticed a look of worriment on the face of the old sailor. It was so
evident that it startled her--the more so as she heard him murmur:

"Going all by herself; eh? Well, she certainly needs a consort."

CHAPTER VIII

HARD WORK

Ruth took advantage of the first opportunity to question Sailor Jack
Jepson. The memory of that look on his face haunted her. But it was not
until they had come from the _Mary Ellen_ that Ruth found her chance.

While on board, arrangements had been made for taking some of the
preliminary scenes of the marine drama, and Mr. Pertell urged Captain
Brisco to hasten, as much as he could, the preparations for the voyage.

But finally, when Alice and her father had gone on ahead, walking with
Mr. Pertell, and were deep in a discussion about a certain scene, Ruth
found a chance to ask:

"Didn't you like what you saw downstairs in the _Mary Ellen_, Jack?"

"Downstairs, Miss?" the sailor questioned, a puzzled look on his face.

"Or whatever the right sea-term is for under the deck?" she went on.

"Oh, you mean below."

"Yes, didn't you like what you saw below?" asked Ruth.

"What do you mean, Miss?"

"Well, you didn't seem altogether pleased. I don't want them to hear,"
she went on, motioning to her father and sister, "but you looked
worried. Was anything--wrong?"

"Wrong? No, Miss, not exactly wrong. But some of them fellers didn't
seem to know their business in repairin' a ship, that was all. But we
aren't goin' on much of a voyage, so I don't s'pose it matters--much."

"But we are going on a pretty long trip, and for a time we'll all be
alone on board the _Mary Ellen_, some distance from land," Ruth said. "I
know, for I've read the outlines."

"Is that so, Miss? Why--I--I didn't exactly know that. I wonder if I'd
better----"

Before Jack Jepson could continue Mr. Pertell turned back and called:

"Oh, I believe I forgot to tell you people, but we are also to have a
motorboat in connection with the _Mary Ellen_. A big, powerful gasoline
craft, she is, called the _Ajax_. She'll follow us, part of the time,
for some of the pictur