The day passed, and by slow degrees the island and the marooned pirates
faded from view, and the night came on, and with it a dense fog.
"We're going to have a nasty night, I am afraid," said Xanthippe, looking
anxiously out of the port.
"No doubt," said Mrs. Noah, pleasantly. "I'm sorry for those who have to
be out in it."
"That's what I was thinking about," observed Xanthippe. "It's going to be
very hard on us keeping watch."
"Watch for what?" demanded Mrs. Noah, looking over the tops of her glasses
at Xanthippe.
"Why, surely you are going to have lookouts stationed on deck?" said
Elizabeth.
"Not at all," said Mrs. Noah. "Perfectly absurd. We never did it on the
Ark, and it isn't necessary now. I want you all to go to bed at ten
o'clock. I don't think the night air is good for you. Besides, it isn't
proper for a woman to be out after dark, whether she's new or not."
"But, my dear Mrs. Noah," expostulated Cleopatra, "what will become of the
ship?"
"I guess she'll float through the night whether we are on deck or not,"
said the commander. "The Ark did, why not this? Now, girls, these
new-fangled yachting notions are all nonsense. It's night, and there's a
fog as thick as a stone-wall all about us. If there were a hundred of you
upon deck with ten eyes apiece, you couldn't see anything. You might much
better be in bed.
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