is extremities. It was a trying scene for a time, and Handy had
the worst of it.

"Steady there, now, old fellow, you'll feel all serene when you give up.
There's no danger."

A minute or so later the poor little chap was taken from the rail as
limp as a wet rag, and was stretched out on the deck with a coil of rope
for a pillow.

"When you get me on a snap of this kind again," he began in a feeble
voice, after he had somewhat recovered, "you just let me know. No more
water adventures for me. I know when I have had enough. Dry land for
mine hereafter."

Handy endeavored to console and cheer him up, but in vain. The poor
sufferer was completely used up. He had yielded his gross receipts to
Neptune, and would, at that particular moment, have mortgaged his
prospects in the future to have been able to set foot on terra firma.
With some little difficulty Handy and one of the crew succeeded in
getting him below and stowed him away in a bunk.

The wind increased during the night, and by two in the morning it was
blowing a half-gale. The _Gem_ was trimmed down to close reefs, and all
but the crew and Handy had turned in--but not to sleep. Handy, who was
an experienced sailor, remained on deck all night. He was never away
from his post. He was as good a sailor as he was bad as a financier.
This speaks volumes for his abilities as a mariner.

The night passed over without mishap, and shortly before sunrise the
wind gave evidence of going down. There was, however, a high sea
running, and though the little craft behaved nobly and was skillfully
handled, yet to men unaccustomed to go down to the sea in ships calmer
weather would have been acceptable. Daylight dawned at last. Later the
sun made his appearance, red and fiery, looking as if annoyed at the
capers old Boreas had been cutting up during the night. The wind went
down as the sun rose higher, and long before noon all was calm and
peaceful. The spirits of the company were restored. As the morning
passed jokes and merriment helped to dispel the unpleasant experiences
of the storm of the previous night. Handy's good humor was particularly
conspicuous, as he had a cheerful word for all. His spirits were as
buoyant as the craft that bore his troupers.

At breakfast--or after breakfast, rather--the momentous question rose as
to where the next stand should be made. The company had already tested
its ability as well as the forbearance of two audiences, and
financially, if no