ity of passengers are helpless children the
scene surpasses horror. With sharp animal cries of fright, they ran
around in blind circles, or charged in a body from side to side of the
deck.

An icy hand was laid on Evan's breast. He expected to see little
bodies with flying skirts drop into the water. How could he be
everywhere at once? He sprang on a seat.

"Sit down, children!" he cried. "She's broken her engine, that's all.
The danger's over now."

They were deaf to his voice. The most frantic of them all was not a
child but a woman, who half lay on a bench with limbs stiffened out,
screaming continuously like a maniac. Evan's voice was powerless
against those cries. He was obliged to silence her. She fell over on
the bench limply. Evan sprang up into sight of all again.

"Sit still!" he cried. "The danger's over. Sing with me!"

He raised his voice in Suwanee River, the song every child knew. A few
joined in, some of the mothers helped. The frantic cries were stilled
a little. The crashing sounds had ceased, but presently the roar of
escaping steam renewed the confusion. Panic broke out afresh. Evan
sang louder.

They looked in his steady face and ceased their aimless running about.
Many joined in. The chorus swelled louder and louder. It was
extraordinary what reassurance there was in the sound. The children
sat down again, and presently like children, many of them were laughing
at their late terrors.

The situation was saved on the forward deck, but Evan sang on with a
sick anxiety in his breast. He looked up at the pilot-house. It was
empty. Under the chorus he could hear ominous sounds from below, and
from the saloon. And Corinna, what of her?

In a moment Corinna herself came out on deck, deathly pale but mistress
of herself. Her eyes sought Evan's eyes. His heart swelled that she
had thought of him in her extremity. Amazement filled her eyes at the
sight of the laughing, singing children, amazement and a passion of
relief. She closed her eyes, and swayed, clinging to the door-handle.

"Sing!" cried Evan quickly. "That's _your_ job!"

She quickly pulled herself together, and throwing back her head let her
full voice go out. It gathered up the ragged chorus, and gave the song
a fresh start. Fog began to creep around the vessel.

"Inside with you!" cried Evan. "Show those crazy kids in there how to
sing!"

He and Corinna herded them in by the two doors. The singing p