"We haven't seen one since the gale begun," Neal replied with a laugh. "I fancy they were as much frightened as Teddy and I."
"It won't take long to turn them out," and Mr. Walters started forward in a manner which boded no good for the skulkers.
Neal and Teddy found little difficulty in retaining a recumbent position, although the yacht was tossing up and down like a mad thing. She no longer gave those sudden lurches which threatened to carry away even the short spars, and for the first time since the deluge from the port-hole, they began to feel really comfortable in mind.
The steward came in very shortly after Mr. Walters left, and from the expression on his face it was evident he had been rated severely for neglect of duty.
"It didn't make any difference to us whether the water was washed up or not," Neal said in a friendly tone. "The sailing master saw it and asked why we hadn't called you."
"He don't allow that a man has any right to sleep," the steward replied sulkily. "If he'd been up since five o'clock, he'd want to turn in before midnight instead of foolin' around the cabin till it was time to begin another day's work."
"Is it possible that you have been sleeping?" Neal asked in surprise.
"I don't see how you could even lie down while the yacht was tumbling about in such a furious manner."
"That was none of my business. I didn't ship before the mast, consequently it ain't any duty of mine to go prowlin' 'round if the wind happened to blow a little."
"If you call this a 'little' I wouldn't like to be on board when you thought it was a regular gale," Teddy said with a laugh.
"I've seen the wind blow so hard that a fellow had to lash his hair down to keep it from bein' carried away when he went on deck; but that didn't stop my wantin' to get a watch below."
With this remark the steward, having finished his work, left the room, and the boys were alone once more.
Although they had believed it would be impossible to sleep during a gale such as the yacht was now laboring under, the eyes of both were soon closed in slumber, not to be opened until late in the morning.
So far as could be told by the motion, there was no diminution in the strength of the wind, and they experienced great difficulty in making their toilets.