Adrift in the Wilds | Page 4

but they wasn't Tim O'Rooneys. He's not the man that was born to
be rich!"
"You're better satisfied where you are."
"Yis, thank God, that I've such a good home, and an ongrateful dog
would I baa if I should ask more."
"But, Elwood, it's getting late, and this night air begins to feel chilly. It
can't be far from midnight."
"I am willing; where's Terror? Ah! here he is; old fellow, come along
and keep faithful watch over your friends."
"Boys," said Tim O'Rooney, with a strange, husky intonation, "you
remember my dream about this steamer burning?"
"Yes; what of it?"
"It is coming thrue!"
He spoke the truth!
CHAPTER III.
AFLOAT.

As Tim O'Rooney spoke, he pointed to the bow of the steamer, where,
in the bright moonlight, some smoke could be seen rising--where, too,
the next instant, they caught sight of a gleam of fire.
"Oh, heaven! what shall we do?" exclaimed Elwood, struck with a
panic.
"Wait and trust to Providence."
"Let us jump overboard; I'd rather be drowned than burned to death.
Come, Howard, let's jump over this minute!"
He made a move toward the stern of the steamer, near which they had
been seated, as if he intended to spring overboard, when his arm was
sternly caught by the Irishman, who said in an indignant tone:
"Kaap cool! kaap cool! don't make a fool of yoursilf. Can ye swim?"
"Yes," answered Howard, "we can both swim very well. Can you?"
"Indaad, I can--swim like a stone."
"But good heavens!" exclaimed Elwood, who had not entirely
recovered from his excitement, "the land is miles off, and we can't
swim there, not taking into account the heavy sea."
"What does that mean?"
As Howard spoke, the bow of the steamer made a sweeping bend to the
right.
"They've headed toward shore," said Elwood.
This snatch of conversation had occupied the shortest possible space of
time. The fire had been discovered by the officials on board fully as
soon as by our friends, and the men could be seen running hurriedly to
and fro, all quiet and still, for they knew too well what the result would
be if the alarm was communicated to the sleeping passengers. The pilot
had headed the vast craft toward land, and by the furious throbbing of

the engines it could be seen that the doomed vessel was straining to the
utmost, like some affrighted, faithful horse striving to carry his master
as nearly as possible to the port of safely ere he dropped down and
died.
It was fully midnight, and, as a matter of course, very nearly all the
passengers were in their berths. There were a few, however, who were
lingering on the promenade deck, some smoking--here and there a
couple of lovers all unconscious of everything else--one or two
avaricious speculators; and but a few minutes could elapse before the
startling danger should become known.
The last words, which we have given as spoken by our friends, had
scarcely been said, when a man, who apparently had been stretched out
sound asleep, suddenly sprung up, wild with terror. "The boat is on fire!
fire! fire!"
He darted hither and thither like some wild animal compassed on every
hand by death, and then suddenly made a leap overboard, and was
swallowed up in the sea.
The alarm spread with fearful rapidity, and was soon ringing through
every part of the steamer, and now began that fearful confusion and
panic which no pen can clearly picture, and which, once seen, can
never be forgotten to the dying day.
Our three friends were gathered at the stern of the steamer, earnestly
and anxiously discussing the best course to pursue.
"Let's stay here," said Howard, "for every second is taking us nearer
land."
"That is what nearly all will do," said Elwood, "but we can never reach
the shore, and when the time comes we shall all be in the sea together,
struggling and sinking, and we shall then be sure to go down."
"Yez are right," said Tim, addressing the last speaker. "Our only chance
is to jump overboard this very minute, before the sea is full of the poor

fellows. They'll begin to go over the ship's side and will kaap it up until
the thing is burned up."
"It's time then that we hunted our life-preservers," said Howard.
"Git out wid yer life-presarvers!" impatiently exclaimed Tim. "Didn't
me uncle wear one of 'em for six months, and then die with the faver!
I'll heave over one of these settaas, and that'll kaap up afloat."
"Be quick about it, Tim," urged Elwood, who was beginning to get
nervous. "See, the fire is spreading, and everybody seems to have found
out what the matter is."
There was indeed no time to be lost. The