resolved to turn back at the first sign of any "inward upsetting'," as he expressed it.
The breeze had increased, and as it was directly from off shore the Old Glory bowled along merrily over the waves. Nobody showed the least sign of seasickness, and they talked, laughed, and sang as if they had not a care in the world. Tom also did some fishing, and caught a string of the finny tribe, of which he was justly proud.
"You can bake them for us when we get back," he said to Nellie. "And then we can all have a fish party."
"I could go on sailing like this for a week," said Dick to Dora, as they moved forward. "I mean if you were along with me," he added, in a lower tone, and she gave him a look that meant a good deal.
When three o'clock came Captain Jerry announced that they must turn back. They were far out of sight of land, with nothing but the blue ocean around them. Overhead the sky was still clear, but the clouds on the horizon were rapidly increasing.
"Oh, let us keep on a while longer," pleaded Tom. "This is just glorious!" And the others said the same.
So they kept on, although somewhat against Captain Jerry's better judgment. The old sailor was watching the clouds. Presently there came an extra heavy puff of wind, and then the clouds seemed to rush up with lightning-like rapidity.
"Got to go back, now," said the sailor. "Going to have a big blow afore night." And he threw over the tiller and gave the necessary commands to change the sails.
"By Jove, but those clouds are coming up fast!" exclaimed Dick, after a careful survey. "I never saw them come up like that on the Atlantic, or on the Great Lakes."
"It's unusual," replied Captain Jerry, with a shake of his head. "Never seen it afore myself. The wind is coming around, too. It's goin' to be a different storm from what we generally git around these waters."
The black clouds soon obscured the sun, and the wind began to blow stronger than ever, sending the whitecaps rolling over the ocean, and causing the spray to fly over the deck of the yacht. Nellie clutched Tom by the arm.
"Oh, Tom, what does this mean?" she asked in a trembling voice.
"It means that we are going to have a storm, that's all," he answered as lightly as he could.
"But — but will it hurt us?" came from Grace.
"I don't think so," put in Sam. "But we may get wet, unless we go into the cabin."
"I vote the girls all go into the cabin," said Dick. "Sam can go with them if he wants to. Tom, you and I can stay on deck to look after the sails."
"I'm going to do my duty on deck, too," came from Sam promptly.
Another rush of wind now sent the spray flying in all directions, and to keep from being drenched the girls retired to the tiny cabin, or, rather, cuddy, of which the Old Glory boasted.
"I am sure it is going to be an awful storm," said Dora. "I wish we were safe on land once more."
"Oh, dear! do you think we'll go to the bottom?" asked Nellie.
"The boys won't let the yacht go down," answered Dora. "They are all good sailors, and Captain Jerry must know all about handling this craft. But we may have a very bad time of it before we get back to Santa Barbara."
It was dark in the cabin, but the yacht pitched and plunged so violently that they were afraid to light the lantern. So they huddled together, each holding another's hand.
On deck Captain Jerry gave orders to lower the topsail and haul in the jib. Several reefs were also taken in the mainsail, and the boys stood ready to bring down the rest of the sheet with a rush at the first word from the old sailor.
"It's a re-markable storm — re-markable," said Captain Jerry, chewing vigorously on the quid of tobacco in his cheek. "Aint never seen no sech storm here afore. Puts me in mind o' a blow I stood out in onct off the coast o' Alaska when I was in a whaler. Thet storm caught us same time as this an' ripped our mast out in a jiffy and drowned two o' the sailors."
"I hope nothing like that happens to us," said Dick, with a shudder. He was not thinking of himself, but of the three girls in the cabin.
"Well, lad, it aint goin' to be no easy blow, I kin tell ye that," responded Captain Jerry.
Soon the wind began to whistle shrilly through the air, and the sky became so black they could scarcely see a hundred yards in any direction. Then came some distant flashes of lightning and rolling thunder, and soon the patter of rain.
"Now we are going to catch it," said Tom, and he was right. Ten minutes later it was pouring in torrents, and the rain continued to keep coming down as if there was to be no end of it.
"Boys, aren't you most drowned?" asked Nellie, peeping out of the cabin door.
"No, but you'll be if you come out here," called back Tom.
"We can't stand up and we can't sit still," came from Grace.
"Sorry, but you'll have to make the best of it," answered Sam.
"Oh, we won't mind, if only we reach shore in safety," put in Dora, and then the door was closed again.
On and on swept the Old Glory, through the wind, the rain, and the darkness. As there was no land near, Captain Jerry paid his whole attention to making the yacht ride easily, an almost impossible task in such a sea as was now raging.
Suddenly from somewhere out of the air came a humming sound. It grew louder and louder, and the boys felt a strange suction of wind which made them hold tightly to the rail for fear of being pulled overboard by some uncanny force. There followed a loud snap and a crash, and the mast began to come down.
"Look out for the mast!" screamed Captain Jerry, and all jumped just in the nick of time. Down came the stick, to strike the rail and shatter it like a pipe stem, and then lay over the deck and over the waves beyond.
CHAPTER VI
ADRIFT ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN
"The mast has gone by the board!" screamed Dick, on rising to his feet.
"That stick will turn the yacht over!" gasped Tom.
Poor Sam could not speak, for a wave had struck him full in the mouth, and he had all he could do to keep from being washed overboard.
The girls in the cabin heard the crash above the roaring of the elements, and let up a scream of alarm.
"Are we going down?"
"Shall we come out on deck?"
"Stay where ye are!" shouted back Captain Jerry, clinging to the wheel with a grip of steel. Then he turned to Dick: "Can ye git an ax and clear away the wreck?"
"I'll try it," replied the eldest Rover, and he moved cautiously to where an ax rested in a holder. Soon he had the article in hand, and was chopping away as fast as he could, while Tom, holding to the bottom of the mast with one hand, held Dick with the other. Sam, in the meantime, cut away some cordage with a hatchet which was handy.
It was truly a perilous moment, and it looked as if the mighty waves would swamp the Old Glory before the wreckage could be cleared away. The girls stood at a cabin window watching the work and ready to leap out if the yacht should start to go down.
"There it goes!" cried Dick, at last, and gave another stroke with the ax. There followed a snap and a crack, and overboard slid the broken mast, carrying a mass of cordage with it.
At once the Old Glory righted herself, sending a small sheet of water flowing from one side of the deck to the other. Some of the water swept into the cabin, and the girls were alarmed more than ever.
"A good job done that it's overboard," said Captain Jerry. "Another plunge or two and we would have gone over, sure pop!"
With