A shrug of the shoulders indicated the captain's doubt. He accompanied this movement with a wagging of the head.
"Vhe'll get into der lee of somedings bretty soon," he replied.
"I surely hope so!" declared Ned, cupping his hands to carry his voice to the other's ear. "I'd hate to hit anything at this rate!"
Nodding an acknowledgment to this assertion the captain by signs indicated to the mate that he desired a hand sent aloft as lookout.
In a short time it seemed to the boys that the terrific force of the gale had somewhat spent itself. Waves began to toss the vessel at an alarming rate. Each mountain of water appeared about to board the schooner at the stern, threatening to crush the craft by its weight.
Anxious for the safety of the vessel and for their own welfare the lads, nevertheless, understood that they could do little good on deck. They, therefore, made their way into the cabin, where they sat on lockers.
Here the noises of the tempest were somewhat stilled, but the creaking and groaning of the timbers was far more noticeable. It seemed to the lads that the vessel was being torn asunder by every billow.
"I wonder what weather the old 'U-13' is making of it about now?" said Frank, as the boys grouped themselves about the little table.
"She's in smoother water than this, I'll venture to say," put in Jimmie, clutching the edge of the table in an effort to support himself.
"If they are not in better water than this," remarked Harry, "they're getting shaken up some! I'd like to be under water right now!"
"Why, Harry," spoke up Ned, "you shouldn't say that!"
"I mean in a tight little submarine!" explained Harry.
"I wish we had the Sea Lion over here!" cried Jimmie. "We could have more fun than we had when we tried to rescue the papers out of that ship in the Gulf of Tong King with Moore and his nosey son butting in!"
"That was sure some fine boat!" declared Ned. "Just as easy to ride in as a rocking chair. And it was always smooth and--"
The boy's speech was cut short by a violent roll of the vessel. All the lads were thrown in a heap to the cabin floor. Directly the schooner righted herself, but began pitching with a violent motion. From the sounds the boys knew that the captain had hove to, bringing the vessel into the wind. Apparently he intended riding out the storm.