“Are you going to speak to the captain?” asked Sam, in a low tone.

Tom thought for a moment.

“Perhaps it will be better to let it go, Sam.  I don’t want to stir up any more rows than are necessary.  But after this I am going to keep my eye on that fellow.”

But if the lads did not mention it to the captain they told their brother and their chums of it, and a long discussion followed.

“I noticed that the mate and the assistant engineer are quite thick,” observed Fred.  “It seems they were friends before they came aboard.”

“And they are two of a kind,” remarked Dick.  “I feel free to say I do not like than at all.”

It was growing warmer, and for the next few days the girls and the boys were content to take it easy under the awnings which had been spread over a portion of the deck.  Once the lads amused themselves by fishing with a net and bait, but were not very successful.  In the evening they usually sang or played games, and often Songbird would favor them with some of his poetry.  For the most of the time Mrs. Stanhope and Mrs. Laning did fancywork.

“Captain says there is a storm coming up,” announced Sam, one evening.

“Oh, dear!  I hope it doesn’t get very rough!” cried Mrs. Stanhope.  “I detest a heavy storm at sea.”

“Well, mamma, we’ll have to expect some storms,” said Dora.

“Oh, I shan’t mind, if it doesn’t thunder and lightning and blow too much.”

But this storm was not of the thunder and lightning variety, nor did it blow to any extent.  It grew damp and foggy, and then a mist came down over the ocean, shutting out the view upon every side.  At once the engine of the steam yacht was slowed down, and a double lookout was stationed at the bow, while the whistle was blown at regular intervals.

“This isn’t so pleasant,” remarked Songbird, as he and Dick tramped along the deck in their raincoats.  “Ugh! what a nasty night it is!”

“No poetry about this, is there, Songbird?” returned Dick, grimly.

“Hardly,” said the poet, yet a few minutes later he began softly: 

“A dreadful fog came out of the sea,
And made it as misty as it could be. 
The deck was wet, the air was damp—­”

“It was bad enough to give you a cramp!” finished up Tom, who had come up.  “Beautiful weather for drying clothes or taking pictures,” he went on.  “By the way, I haven’t used my new camera yet.  I must get it out as soon as the sun shines again.”

“And I must get out my camera,” said Songbird.  “I have a five by seven and I hope to take some very nice pictures when we get down among the islands.”