continued to look far away, and press his hand up and down in the pit of
his stomach; and when a boy begins to realize that he has such an organ
at all, he must be in a pretty bad way.

Still the wind kept on increasing until it was blowing a small gale.
Even the confident Thad felt a little nervous as he wondered what would
happen should their engine suddenly give a groan and cease to labor.
The situation must be anything but pleasant, left at the mercy of the
coming storm, out there a couple of miles from the southern shore, and
further than that away from the lovely little cove where they had hoped
to pass the night in peace and safety.

The next half hour was apt to settle that matter, one way or the other;
and of course Thad found no reason to despair, as yet, for the motor
kept buzzing away cheerily, and the boat pushed through the rising and
falling, billows quite sturdily, as the pilot kept her pointed toward
that headland far beyond.




CHAPTER VIII

NO END OF TROUBLES


"What's that queer sound?" asked Step Hen, looking up suddenly.

"Oh, never mind, it's only me," came from the side of the boat, where
Bumpus was lying flat on his stomach, and leaning over.