“Now,” said Miriam Lake, the prettiest of the children, “it is time to strike the bells.”

So she struck a tea-bell with a stick eight times.

“That is eight bells,” explained she to Dotty, “and it means four o’clock.  But, Jennie Holiday, where is the kitten?  Why, we are not half ready.”

The children never thought they could play “ship” without a kitten, a gray and white one which they put into a cage just as Jennie Holiday did, when she and Rollo travelled by themselves from New York to Liverpool.  When the kitten had been brought, they had got as far as Long Island Sound, and they said the kitten was sent by a ship of war which had to be “spoken.”

“This is a funny way to play,” said Miriam.  “Here we are at Halifax, and nobody has heaved the log yet.”

“No,” said Octavia; “so we can’t tell how many knots an hour we are going.”

“I’m going a great many knocks,” cried Katie, whose exertions in rocking from side to side had thrown her overboard once.

“We never’ll get to Liverpool in this world,” said Emily, “unless Miss Percival comes and steers the ship.”

It happened at that very moment that Miss Percival came into the yard with aunt Maria.

“If you will excuse me, Mrs. Clifford,” said she, laughing, “I will take command of this ship.”

“No apologies are necessary,” replied Mrs. Clifford.  “I should be very glad to watch your proceedings.  Is it possible, Miss Percival, that you are capable of guiding a vessel across the Atlantic?”

“I have often tried it,” said Miss Percival, going on board; “but we sometimes have a shipwreck.”

“Emily,” said she, “you may heave the log.”  So Emily rose, and taking a large spool of crochet-cotton which Miss Percival gave her, held it above her head, turning it slowly, till a tatting shuttle, which was fastened at the end of the thread, fell to the ground.  This was supposed to be the “log;” and Octavia, with one or two other girls, pretended to tug with much force in order to draw it in, for the ship was going so fast that the friction against the cord was very great.  Knots had been made in the cotton, over which Emily ran her quick fingers.

“Ten knots an hour,” said she.

“Very good speed,” returned the captain.  “I do not think we shall be able to take an observation to-day, as it is rather cloudy.”

Sailors “take observations” at noon, if the sun is out, by means of a sextant, with which they measure the distance from the sun to the southern horizon.  In this way the captain can tell the exact latitude of the ship; but Miss Percival made believe there was a storm coming up; so it was not possible to take an observation.

“It is two bells,” said she:  “the wind is out; there will be a fearful storm.  I would advise the passengers to turn into their berths.”

The children lay down upon the floor.  “There, there,” said Miriam Lake, who was playing Jennie Holiday; “my poor little kitty is just as seasick!  Her head keeps going round and round.”