"That's what I was thinking about," observed Xanthippe. "It's going
to be very hard on us keeping watch."

"Watch for what?" demanded Mrs. Noah, looking over the tops of her
glasses at Xanthippe.

"Why, surely you are going to have lookouts stationed on deck?" said
Elizabeth.

"Not at all," said Mrs. Noah. "Perfectly absurd. We never did it on
the Ark, and it isn't necessary now. I want you all to go to bed at
ten o'clock. I don't think the night air is good for you. Besides,
it isn't proper for a woman to be out after dark, whether she's new
or not."

"But, my dear Mrs. Noah," expostulated Cleopatra, "what will become
of the ship?"

"I guess she'll float through the night whether we are on deck or
not," said the commander. "The Ark did, why not this? Now, girls,
these new-fangled yachting notions are all nonsense. It's night, and
there's a fog as thick as a stone-wall all about us. If there were a
hundred of you upon deck with ten eyes apiece, you couldn't see
anything. You might much better be in bed. As your captain,
chaperon, and grandmother, I command you to stay below."

"But--who is to steer?" queried Xanthippe.

"What's the use of steering until we can see where to steer to?"