he vessel around in the form of the figure 8, just to "get the knack
of it," as he said.

"Shall we start for land in such a storm as this?" asked Sam. "It
might drive us up on the rocks somewhere."

"We're a good way from land, Sam. Let us see what the storm will do
first."

The black clouds increased rapidly, until the whole sky was overcast.
Then a strong wind sprang up and the gulf was covered with whitecaps
as far as the eye could reach.

"It's coming!" cried Sam, as the big raindrops began to fall. "We
may as well get out of the wet."

"I think I'll run before the storm," said Dick. "We must either do
that or face it. The yacht is beginning to roil."

"Yah, I feel dot!" sighed Hans, who had begun to turn pale.

"Hans, are you getting seasick?" demanded Sam.

"I ton't know, put I clink me my stomach vos going inside owid alretty!"

"You're certainly seasick," said Dick, with a grin. "Better lie down
for a while."

"Oh, my!" groaned the German youth, and rushed, first to the rail of
the steam yacht and then to the cabin. He was indeed sick, and that
was the last the others saw of him while the storm lasted.

Soon came a whistling wind and then the rain fell in torrents. The
sea was lashed into a white foam and the waves became higher and
higher, crashing against the stern of the _Mermaid_, as she ran before
them. At one moment the steam yacht would be on the top of the waves,
the next she would sink down and down in the trough of the sea.

"You don't think we'll be wrecked, do you?" asked Sam, as he left
his duty as fireman and came to the wheelhouse, where Dick stood,
with all the windows down, trying to peer forth through the fury of
the elements.

"Not at all, Sam,--but this is something fierce and no mistake."

"Poor Hans is down and out. I heard him rolling on his berth and
groaning with distress."

"Well, leave him alone. He'll be sick as long as the storm lasts,
most likely, and you'll only make matters worse by looking at him."

With the coming of night the storm appeared to increase. It was
pitch-black on every side and Dick did not dare to run the _Mermaid_
at more than quarter speed--just enough to keep her from swinging
around broadside to the storm. All the lanterns were lit and hung
up, Sam doing this with an oilsilk coat around him--a garment found
in one of the staterooms. Yet he came in pretty wet.

"It's a screamer," he announced to Tom, as he dried himself by the
boiler. "Nev