eck he found a gathering in the open space
surrounding a freight hatch. One whom he knew for a Polish woman, with
her baby at her breast, was on the edge of the crowd, and, like most of
the others, glancing up to see what was doing on the higher decks. The
Polish woman was too concerned with her baby to see exactly what they
were doing on that high deck where all the boats were, but another woman
was telling her how it was.

Lavis stepped closer and listened. She was telling, the tall one, how
there were many men running about excitedly--ship's men with only shirts
above their trousers some, and others with coats buttoned up. And they
were pulling and hauling and knocking away blocks. Such a clear night
one could see them--see their forms--and hear, too, their blows and
shouts. The woman with the baby nodded. Without looking up she could
hear the blows. And now the electric light had come, resumed the tall
one; she could see that many women had gathered there, and some were
pushing forward and others pushing back, and now women--yes, and a
man--were being put into a boat.

"And now the boat is lowered," resumed the tall one.

"I can hear them," said the young mother. "And now it is rowing away
from the ship in the dark."

"And there is another," informed the tall one by and by.

"I can hear that, too, rowing away in the dark. And from the water--do
you hear it, too, baby--such a lonesome cry in the darkness?"

At that moment Lavis spoke to her in her own language. The young mother
greeted him warmly. "Ah-h, baby," she said, "here is the good gentleman
who lives in the country where your father is waiting." She turned from
the baby to ply Lavis with rapid questions in Polish.

What did that mean--the boats leaving the great ship? Surely it must be
true what the men had said, the ship's men--that there was no danger?
Surely it must be true that such a monster of a ship, it could not sink?
Surely it could not! And yet why were all the rich ladies being sent
away and the gates to the upper decks closed, so that the poor people in
the steerage could not get out? Was it really true there was no danger?
Surely those officers would not deceive poor, friendless people! And yet
here the oily men, the greasy ones who worked deep down in the ship,
rushing every moment from below! And saying nothing but low-spoken words
to each other, and into their rooms and out again in no time, but with
more and heavier clothes upon them!