to be an awful storm," said Dora. "I wish we
were safe on land once more."

"Oh, dear! do you think we'll go to the bottom?" asked Nellie.

"The boys won't let the yacht go down," answered Dora. "They are all
good sailors, and Captain Jerry must know all about handling this
craft. But we may have a very bad time of it before we get back to
Santa Barbara."

It was dark in the cabin, but the yacht pitched and plunged so
violently that they were afraid to light the lantern. So they huddled
together, each holding another's hand.

On deck Captain Jerry gave orders to lower the topsail and haul in
the jib. Several reefs were also taken in the mainsail, and the boys
stood ready to bring down the rest of the sheet with a rush at the
first word from the old sailor.

"It's a re-markable storm--re-markable," said Captain Jerry, chewing
vigorously on the quid of tobacco in his cheek. "Aint never seen no
sech storm here afore. Puts me in mind o' a blow I stood out in onct
off the coast o' Alaska when I was in a whaler. Thet storm caught us
same time as this an' ripped our mast out in a jiffy and drowned two
o' the sailors."

"I hope nothing like that happens to us," said Dick, with a shudder.
He was not thinking of himself, but of the three girls in the cabin.

"Well, lad, it aint goin' to be no easy blow, I kin tell ye that,"
responded Captain Jerry.

Soon the wind began to whistle shrilly through the air, and the sky
became so black they could scarcely see a hundred yards in any
direction, Then came some distant flashes of lightning and rolling
thunder, and soon the patter of rain.

"Now we are going to catch it," said Tom, and he was right. Ten
minutes later it was pouring in torrents, and the rain continued to
keep coming down as if there was to be no end of it.

"Boys, aren't you most drowned?" asked Nellie, peeping out of the
cabin door.

"No, but you'll be if you come out here," called back Tom.

"We can't stand up and we can't sit still," came from Grace.

"Sorry, but you'll have to make the best of it," answered Sam.

"Oh, we won't mind, if only we reach shore in safety," put in Dora,
and then the door was closed again.

On and on swept the Old Glory, through the wind, the rain, and the
darkness. As there was no land near, Captain Jerry paid his whole
attention to making the yacht ride easily, an almost impossible task
in such a sea as was now raging.

Suddenly from somewhere out of the air came a hummi