It was a long, shuddering sneeze that Harriet Burrell uttered.  She feared it had not only attracted the attention of the man or men on board the sloop, but awakened her companions as well.  The faint noises on deck continued as before.  No sound came from the cabin.

“Thank goodness, no one heard me,” she muttered.  “Why is it that one has to sneeze when she doesn’t want to, I wonder?  I—­” She started at sound of a low voice close at hand speaking her name.

“Harriet, ith that you?”

“Tommy, what a start you gave me!  When did you wake up?  What are you doing here?” questioned Harriet in a whisper.

“That ith what I wath going to athk you.  What ith it?”

“Sh-h-h!  You will waken the others.”

“If you didn’t wake them up with that thneeze nothing but a club will wake them.”  Tommy crept close to her companion.  “You thee thomething, don’t you?”

“Not much.  The night is too dark.  I can see the outlines of the ‘Sue’ over there, but that is about all.”

“Ith anything the matter with her?”

“I think not.”

“Then why are you watching her tho clothely?”

“You are altogether too observant, Tommy.  But don’t speak so loudly, please.  There is nothing of any importance over there.  Please go back to bed.  You will complain about having to get up for breakfast in the morning.”

“Did you ever hear me complain about having to eat?”

“I can’t say that I ever did,” smiled Harriet.  “But you will catch cold out here.”

“Tho will you.  You will catch cold firtht becauthe you have been out here longer than I have.  Anything elthe?”

“No, except that I am not going to waste my breath giving you advice.  When you become cold enough I presume you will go back to bed.”

“Yeth, when I find out what ith going on out here.  I won’t catch cold, but maybe if I thtay out here long enough I’ll catch a fithh.  There!  I know what you are watching.  You are watching that ‘Thilly Thue.’”

“Sh-h-h!”

The creaking on board had begun again.  It continued at intervals for several moments, both girls listening almost breathlessly.

“Wha—­at are they doing?” whispered Tommy.

“I don’t know.  That is what I am trying to find out.”

“My grathiouth!  Maybe the captain is going to run away with the ’Thilly Thue’.”

“No.  Come to think of it, I believe he must be getting the boat ready for our sail to-morrow.”

“Not without a light.  There ith thomething else going on.  Oh, look!”

Following a period of silence, blue sparks began sputtering from the masthead of the “Sister Sue.”  The girls could hear the sparks crackle and snap spitefully.

“Oh, look at the fireworkth!” cried Tommy out loud.  “The thhip ith on fire!”

Harriet laid a firm hand on her arm.  “Keep still!”

A faint squealing sound was now distinguishable, while the sparking at the masthead continued with almost rhythmic regularity.