Bumpus was sitting up, though looking very white indeed. Every now and
then he would shake his round head in a doleful way, and heave a
tremendous sigh, as though he might be wondering if his whole past would
be appearing before him, since, as he complainingly told the
sympathizing Thad, "everything seemed to be coming up nowadays."

"Only a little while ago I was worrying my poor old head off for fear
the boat would sink with me," he went on to say, with a dismal smile;
"and now it's just the other way, and I'm feelin' bad because she won't
sink."

"Oh! don't let yourself down like that, Bumpus," said Allan; "we're
going in behind that headland right away, and you'll be surprised to see
how quick you get over feeling bad. There, the water isn't near so
rough as it was, right now; and soon it'll seem like a mill pond."

"Do you think so; wish I could believe it?" called out Step Hen, without
turning his head, for he was very busy; "but seems to me the old boat is
jumping as bad as any cayuse I ever saw, when we were out in the Wild
West. Oh!"

All the same Allan was right, for they were passing in behind the
projecting tongue of land, and already the worst was over, for the seas
were not near so heavy, though of course the change was hardly
noticeable to those who were feeling so badly.

And so it came about that presently Thad had to lessen their speed, for
he did not want to run aground, or have any other accident occur that
would cripple the boat, and shorten their cruise.