There was silence for a while, with the Skip drifting on in the storm and darkness. Occasionally a bigger wave than usual would break over the high bow, and come crashing down on the roof of the cabin. At times the weight of water was so heavy that the boys feared the roof would be crushed in, but the Skip was made to stand hard knocks, and well she did it.
"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Sammy, after a bit. The boys had put on their clothing, which was warm and dry, and they were sitting about the cabin, looking at one another, and wondering what would happen next.
"What can we do?" asked Bob. "We can only drift, until morning."
"Then I say let's go to bed," proposed Frank. "We can't do any good by sitting up, and maybe we can get some rest."
"But supposing some vessel runs us down in the night?" suggested Bob.
"That isn't likely to happen with our lights burning. Besides, staying awake won't stop that."
The boys were tired enough to turn in and stretch out on the bunks, though possibly they were too alarmed and excited to sleep. As Frank had said, their outside lights, the red and green and white, were glowing, and any vessel, seeing them, would not run them down.
"I say let's try something before we go to bed," said Bob.
"Try what?" asked Frank.
"Try to make someone hear us. Let's go outside and blow the air whistle and yell. Maybe some passing ship may hear us and take us on board."
"That's a good idea!" exclaimed Sammy. "We'd better go out anyhow, and look to see if the lanterns are all right. We wouldn't want them to go out in the night."
It was still raining, but not so hard, and, putting on the suits
