My fears are for the unfortunate vessel, the loss of which will be a sad blow to her skipper, poor fellow, as he has staked his all in her!" "But, Captain," she rejoined, "why do you look so serious ?" "Serious ?" he repeated after her, the hard lines in his face at once relaxing--"so would you, too, look serious, ma'am, if you thought of the matter in the same light.

You see, I can't help looking upon a ship as a sort of living creature; and to think of a fine boat like this coming to grief in such a lubberly fashion is enough almost to make one cry!" His eyes blinked furiously as he said this, the bushy eyebrows above moving up and down; and, taking out his bright bandana handkerchief, he blew his nose with vigour, as if to give vent to his emotion, Nellie, whose pale face had gained a little more colour since the Captain's reassuring words to her aunt, now sidled up to him, catching hold of his hand affectionately.
"But will the poor steamer really be lost ?" she inquired timidly; "wrecked, as sailors call it ?" "Yes, I'm afraid so with the pack of nincompoops we've got on board," he growled.

"They're talking of beaching her; and if so, with the wind chopping round to the eastwards, as those porpoises you saw this morning told us it will do by and by, for they're unfailing weather prophets always, why, the unfortunate craft will lay her bones on the shingle.
She will, at all events, if any sort of a sea get up, or call me no sailor!" Bob, who on his return from the fore-part of the vessel in company with Captain Dresser had stationed himself again by the engine-room hatchway, here gave a shout.
"They're moving," he cried; "I see the piston going up and down, and the shaft turning round!" The rapid beat of the paddle-wheels on the water alongside gave testimony to the truth of Bob's statement; but to Nell's surprise, no churned-up foam came drifting by astern as before, and she couldn't make it out.
The paradox, however, was made plain to her by Hellyer, who did not seem to trouble himself much about the mishap, remaining seated on the hamper, which he had placed by the after sponsing of the starboard paddle-box.

The coastguardsman, indeed, appeared as unconcerned throughout all the fuss as if he were safe ashore in his own little cabin on the beach; while Rover kept close beside him, as he had done since Hellyer took charge of the hamper which he had brought on board-- the dog evidently considering himself still responsible for all the picnic goods and chattels that his young mistress had told him to watch.
"The paddles is backin' astern," replied Hellyer; "and so, miss, their wake drifts for'ard instead of aft.

That's the reason, miss, you sees nothing washing by." But this movement did not long continue, two strokes of the gong in the engine-room being heard as the captain of the steamer moved the brass handle of the mechanical telegraph on the bridge; whereupon, the machinery was suddenly stopped.
Then the gong sounded twice again, the signal being followed by the quick "splash--splash--splash!" of the paddles once more in the water; when Nellie was delighted by seeing the creamy foam tossing up alongside where she and her aunt were now standing again, they having vacated their seats on the first alarm, like others of the passengers.
"By Jove!" muttered the Captain, half aloud.