Voyage of the Dolphin by Gilbert L. Morris Read Free Book Online Page B

like a blamed rollercoaster!” Reb shouted as they plunged downward. He looked at the wall of water now seemingly as high as the top of the mainmast. “I hope we come out of this!”
    Below deck, the Sleepers were clinging to whatever support they could find. In the galley, Jake had tried to fasten everything down, but doors popped open, dishes flew out, and he yelled at Abbey, “Good thing we put that fire out! That's all we need—to have the ship catch on fire.”
    The Dolphin reached the depth of a trough, then rose up at a sharp angle.
    Abbey reached over and grabbed Jake's hand. “I'm scared,” she cried. Her eyes were large, and her lips trembled. “I think we're all going to die.”
    Jake held her hand, and they braced their backs against the bulkhead. “We'll be all right. Goél, wherever he is, hasn't forgotten about us,” he said. “Don't worry.”
    Abbey found a faint smile. “Tell me how not to worry, and I'll be glad to do it. I've never been in anything like this, Jake.”
    â€œMe neither,” Jake admitted. He wiped his forehead, and his hand was not steady. “I guess I'll have to admit I'm a little nervous myself.”
    Josh and Sarah were in the forward compartment with Wash. The three of them had long ago stopped commenting on the storm, but now Josh said, “It's getting worse, I think.”
    â€œI don't see how it could get any worse,” Wash said. “Those waves are high as a pine tree right now.”
    â€œDo you think the ship's going to hold together?” Sarah asked tensely. All wooden ships creaked, but now the Dolphin seemed to be nothing but creaks. She looked around, anxious, expecting the water to come in at any moment.
    â€œThe captain built it. He said it would stay together,” Wash said loyally. “I think it will.”
    Suddenly Sarah said, “I think I'd better go to Dawn's cabin. She's probably scared to death.”
    â€œAfter what she did to you? Let her be scared,” Josh protested.
    â€œNo, I'd better go. I know how I'd feel if I were all alone.”
    Clinging to the bulkhead, Sarah made her way out of the cabin. A sudden shift of the vessel threw her against the wall so that she cried out and fell to the floor. She crawled along the rolling passageway the rest of the way to Dawn's cabin.
    She found Dawn lying on her bunk. Faint light streamed in through the porthole, and Sarah asked loudly, “Are you all right, Miss Catalina?”
    Dawn Catalina was not all right. She had been in the cabin for several days, speaking to no one. She had taken her meals in silence and refused every offer Sarah had made to patch up the matter.
    But this storm was something different! As she turned in the bunk and then sat up, she whispered hoarsely, “What's going to happen?”
    Sarah grabbed at the bunk, which was fortunately fastened to both floor and bulkhead. She sat down beside the girl. “We'll be all right.”
    â€œI never was in a storm like this before. I—I'm frightened.”
    â€œI think we all are,” Sarah admitted.
    The ship rose and fell again. It seemed to never stop falling, and both girls took deep breaths. Finally the vessel straightened itself, but water suddenly gushed in through the porthole. Sarah looked at it, and fear shot through her. “We'll just have to have faith that we'll be all right,” she said as quietly as she could.
    â€œHave faith? Faith in what?”
    â€œWhy, faith in the ship, faith in Captain Daybright— but mostly faith in Goel. He takes care of his own.”
    Dawn stared at her blankly and shook her head. “I've heard of Goél. But I've never had faith in anything.”
    â€œIt might be a good time to begin.” Sarah reached out suddenly and seized the girl's hand and held it.
    Dawn looked at her in amazement. “Don't you hate me?” she demanded.
    â€œWhy, no.”
    â€œWell, I ... I've