oncert, and Dick was
standing at the piano warbling "Dear Heart" to the doctor's
accompaniment--it is no longer the fashion for sailors to sing
sea-songs--when the proceedings were abruptly interrupted by a jolt--it
was scarcely severe enough to merit the term "shock"--instantly followed
by a perceptible lifting of the ship's bows and a slight list of her to
starboard, while to her smooth, steady, gliding progress succeeded a
rapid succession of jerks, accompanied by a sound of rending, distinctly
audible in the ward-room in the dead silence that suddenly fell upon the
party. Then the bows of the ship were felt to dip and her stern to
rise, while her speed slackened so abruptly that those who were standing
only retained their footing with difficulty; a final jar, succeeded by a
crash, came, and the ship once more settled to her bearings, floating
smoothly and tranquilly as before.

By this time the occupants of the ward-room were all upon their feet,
staring at one another, speechless, with horrified eyes. But as the
stern of the ship settled and she again came to her bearings, Mr Brown,
the chief officer, who was one of the party, exclaimed:

"Ice--by the Living Jingo!--and we've hit it! More than that she's torn
the bottom off herself, unless I'm very greatly mistaken; and in another
minute there'll be the deuce and all to pay--a panic, as likely as not.
To your stations, gentlemen, and remember--the first thing to be done is
to keep the boat deck clear. Come on!" And he led the way up the
companion-ladder to the deck.

As Dick emerged into the open air, the first thing of which he became
conscious was a distinctly keener edge of chill in the atmosphere; next,
that the ship's engines had stopped; and third, that the second-class
passengers were swarming out of their quarters like angry bees, each
demanding of the other to be told what had happened. They were
evidently heading with one accord for the promenade deck, doubtless _en
route_ for the boat deck; and Dick only reached the foot of the ladder
in the nick of time to meet the rush of the foremost.

"Hillo!" he cried, good-humouredly, planting himself square in front of
the ladder. "Whither away, good people? No, no; that is the
first-class quarters; you know that you have no right on the promenade
deck. Keep to your own part of the ship, please."

The crowd checked at the cool authoritativeness of Dick's tones; but a
big, burly man elbowed his way th