ghted herself and rode on even keel,
while the stress and turmoil of her fight against wind and wave passed
away into a sustained silence.

The half-caste stewards glanced at each other and drew together in
whispering groups, but the chief steward, an Englishman, who had turned
to leave the saloon, changed his mind and uttered a low growl of
command which sent his subordinates' attention, if not their thoughts,
back to their work. In the strained hush, the running along the deck
of men in heavy sea-boots was painfully audible. Water could be heard
pouring through the scuppers. Steam was rushing forth somewhere with
vehement bluster. These sounds only accentuated the extraordinary
truce in the fight of ship against sea. The _Kansas_ was stricken
dumb, if not dead.

"Something has gone wrong," said Elsie in a low voice.

Doctor Christobal nodded carelessly.

"A burst steam-pipe, probably. Such things will happen at times. We
are hove to for the moment."

He traded on the ignorance of his hearers. The chief steward heard his
explanation and looked at him fixedly. Christobal caught the glance.

"I suppose we shall lose an hour or so now?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. It will be all right by the time you have finished dinner."

The meal drew to its close without much further talk. The American
engineer was the first to rise, but the chief steward whispered in his
ear; he returned to the table.

"Say," he said calmly, "we can't quit yet. The companion-hatch is
closed. We must remain here a bit."

"Do you mean that we are battened down?" demanded Isobel, shrilly, and
her face lost some of its beauty in an ashen pallor.

"Something of the sort, Miss Baring. Anyway, we can't go on deck."

"But--I insist on being told what is the matter."

The American knew little of ships, but he knew a great deal about
mines, and, in a mine, if an accident happens, the man in charge cannot
desert his post to give information to those who are anxious for it.
So he replied laconically:

"Guess the captain will tell us all about it after a while, Miss
Baring."

"Que diable! I feel like the rat in the trap," said Count Edouard,
suppressed excitement rendering his English less fluent.

At another time the phrase would have sent a ripple of amusement
through that cheery company. Now, no one smiled. They knew too well
what he meant to pay heed to the mere form of his words. No matter how
large or sumptuously equipped the