e dangers yet to be encountered, seized a
red tam-o'-shanter from the head of a young girl who stood near.

Her exclamation of surprise was drowned in the fearful cry 'Man
overboard!' and all rushed down to the rail and saw Harold, as he emerged
from the water, pull the red cap over his head and then swim desperately
towards the child, whose golden hair was spread on the rising wave.

The instant after Pearl's being swept overboard might be seen the
splendid discipline of a well-ordered ship. Every man to his post, and
every man with a knowledge of his duty. The First Officer called to the
Quartermaster at the wheel in a voice which cut through the gale like a
trumpet:

'Hard a port! Hard!'

The stern of the great ship swung away to port in time to clear the
floating child from the whirling screw, which would have cut her to
pieces in an instant. Then the Officer after tearing the engine-room
signal to 'Starboard engine full speed astern,' ran for the lifebuoy
hanging at the starboard end of the bridge. This he hurled far into the
sea. As it fell the attached rope dragged with it the signal, which so
soon as it reaches water bursts into smoke and flame--signal by day and
night. This done, and it had all been done in a couple of seconds, he
worked the electric switch of the syren, which screamed out quickly once,
twice, thrice. This is the dread sound which means 'man overboard,' and
draws to his post every man on the ship, waking or sleeping.

The Captain was now on the bridge and in command, and the First Officer,
freed from his duty there, ran to the emergency boat, swung out on its
davits on the port side.

All this time, though only numbered by seconds, the _Scoriac_ was turning
hard to starboard, making a great figure of eight; for it is quicker to
turn one of these great sea monsters round than to stop her in mid
career. The aim of her Captain in such cases is to bring her back to the
weather side of the floating buoy before launching the boat.

On deck the anguish of the child's parents was pitiable. Close to the
rail, with her husband's arms holding her tight to it, the distressed
mother leaned out; but always moving so that she was at the nearest point
of the ship to her child. As the ship passed on it became more difficult
to see the heads. In the greater distance they seemed to be quite close
together. All at once, just as a great wave which had hidden them in the
farther trough passed on,