senger sitting opposite. "I was afraid
I should be starved to death before we reached land."

"He'll have it in for us," said Fred. "Every time he looks at me he
glares like a wild beast."

"We'll keep our eyes open," said Dick. "But I don't think he'll do
anything. He knows we were in the right. I reckon he's more of a
talker than anything else," and in this surmise the eldest Rover was
correct.

During the afternoon a heavy mist swept over the gulf and the speed
of the _Mascotte_ had to be slackened. Two men were placed on watch
besides the pilot, but they could see little.

"This is going to delay us still more," said Tom, and he was right.
About six o'clock they came near crashing into another steamboat,
and after that the forward movement was almost checked entirely.

All on board felt it would be a night of more or less peril, and
consequently the trouble over the meals was forgotten. The captain
paced the deck nervously, and the pilot and other watchers strained
their eyes to pierce the gloom.

"I must say, I don't feel much like turning in," remarked Sam. "I
can't tell why it is, either."

"I feel myself as if something unusual was in the air," answered Tom.

"Boys," said Dick to his brothers, "if anything should happen, stick
together."

"To be sure," came from Sam and Tom.

"But do you think something will really happen?" added the youngest
Rover.

"I don't know what to think. I know this steamer is worse than an
old tub, and I know that the mist is getting so thick you can cut it
with a knife."

"I wish we were on shore again, Dick."

"So do I."

"Py chiminatics!" came from Hans. "Owit on der deck you can't see
your face before your nose alretty!"

"Of course you know what this means, Hans," answered Tom, who was
bound to have a little fun in spite of the seriousness of the situation.

"Vot does dot mean?"

"You know they have great earthquakes down here, and great volcanoes."

"Vell, vot of dot?"

"When it gets so misty as this then look out for a fearful earthquake
and a great volcanic eruption."

"You ton't tole me!" gasped the German youth. "Say, I ton't vont no
earthkvakes, not much I ton't!"

"Maybe it won't do much harm--only sink the ship," put in Sam, taking
his cue from Tom.

"Sink der ship? Den ve peen all drowned, ain't it? Say, Sam, how
kvick you dink dem earthkvakes come, hey?"

"Oh, some time to-night," answered the youngest Rover.

"Mine cracious! Ve peen all