In Search of El Dorado | Page 4

yourself, who always go badly scared
if they get half a chance. Besides, it is one of the standing orders of the
ship, and gives the men a bit of exercise in handling the boats. They
will hang there for a bit, and then they will be swung inboard and
stowed again. Now,--please go back to your cabins, all of you, and
make yourselves comfortable. Or, if you don't care to do that--if you
are determined to hang about out here on deck in the cold, at least go
and put some warm clothes on. For I tell you candidly that it may be an
hour or more before those boats are swung in and stowed."
"All right!" returned Dick's opponent, "I'll stay where I am until that's
done, and chance it. I'd rather have a cold than be drowned in my cabin,
like a rat in a trap."
"Very well," retorted Dick. "Do as you please, by all means. It's your
look-out, not mine. Only you are setting a very bad example to the
others. And by this time to-morrow you will all be sorry that you did
not take my advice."
Meanwhile, from where Dick stood, at the foot of the ladder leading to
the promenade deck, he could hear the purser up there suavely assuring
a crowd of first-class passengers that there was not the slightest
occasion for alarm, that the boats were merely being swung out as a
precautionary measure always adopted in such cases, and that if they
would kindly retire to the dining-saloon they would find a hot supper
awaiting them which he had taken it upon himself to order, just to
fortify his charges against any possible ill effects from the cold to
which they were so foolishly exposing themselves. And while he spoke,
the purser was busily but very politely shepherding the promenade deck
crowd toward the doorway giving access to the dining-saloon.
But above the suavely jocular accents of the purser's voice Dick's quick
ears caught other and more sinister sounds, to wit, the persistent
crackling of the ship's wireless installation, and he very shrewdly
suspected that that meant something much more serious and important
than "Sparks" swapping good-nights with some other operator--that, in
short, it meant nothing less than that most urgent of all wireless calls,

the S.O.S. of a ship in dire distress summoning other ships to her aid.
Further than that, although the work of preparing the boats for lowering
was proceeding in a perfectly quiet and orderly manner, Dick was
conscious, even above the roar of escaping steam, of a strenuous haste
in the movements of the men engaged upon the task, as well as of a
certain note of sharpness and urgency in the tones of the officers who
were supervising the work, all of which combined to impress upon the
young officer the conviction that matters were taking a distinctly
serious turn for the Everest.
In the brief interval during which the above impressions were printing
themselves upon Dick's consciousness, a few of the people confronting
him had turned, and, in a half-hearted, hesitant way, were drifting back
toward the entrance of the deck-house, although the greater part of
them seemed disposed to follow the burly man's example and remain
where they were until authoritatively assured that all was well with the
ship. It was during this momentary lull that a brass-buttoned steward
came nimbly down the ladder before which Cavendish was standing,
and said to him:
"Purser's compliments, sir, and would you be so good as to tell the
second-class passengers that, on account of their bein' disturbed by the
ship hittin' a lump of ice, and turnin' out in the cold, tea, coffee, and hot
soup is bein' served in the dinin'-room to warm 'em up a bit before they
goes to their beds."
"Right-o!" answered Dick. "I will inform them at once. Ladies and
gentlemen," he continued, "lest you should not all have heard the
message which the steward has just delivered, let me repeat it. It is a
message from the purser to the effect that since so many of you have
unfortunately been scared out of your warm cabins by the collision of
the ship with a small piece of ice, tea, coffee, and hot soup are now
being served in the dining-room to those who care to have something to
warm them before turning in. If you take my advice, you will lose no
time in going below to get it, because only a limited quantity will be
served, and those who get below first will have the best chance.
Good-night, all of you. Turn in as soon as you have had your hot drink,

and get a good night's rest."
And therewith the young man turned and with much deliberation