t take to the boats at once.

"I never can remember rightly what happened then. It seems now such a
confusin' jumble of men, women and childer, all screamin' an' rushin'
for the stairs, and all the time the wind was a howlin' an' the vessel
was groanin' an' pitchin' so you had to cling to whatever was nearest to
keep on your feet at all. I don't know how we got there, but the next
thing I remember was standin' on the deck an' hangin' on to something
to keep from bein' washed overboard by the great waves that broke over
the ship an' flooded her from stem to stern. Mona stood near me with the
baby on her arm an' holdin' tight to the hand of little Gerald who hid
his face in her skirt an' sobbed in terror. Michael was beside her, one
arm holdin' her close while with the other he hung onto the railin' just
as I was doin'. Pretty soon, the boats was lowered an' everyone made a
rush for 'em. There was a shout of:

"'Stand back, there, stand back! Women an' children first; only the
women an' children.'

"The ship's officers an' sailors beat back the men an' commenced puttin'
the women into the boats as fast as they could. One of 'em caught Mona
by the arm an' tried to hurry her away. She struggled with him an'
begged to be left with Michael. The sailor swore at her an' then I heard
Michael's voice, calm an' steady, above the din of the storm:

"'Go at once, asthore,' say he; 'for the sake of the childer, go at
once. Sure, dearie,' says he, 'we're in the Lord's hands anyway! can't
ye trust Him on the water just the same as on the land?'

"The sailor lifted Mona an' the baby in his arm (it's the wee bit of a
thing she was always) an' passed her on to another to be lowered into
the boat. Michael caught up little Gerald an' cried out to me: 'Take the
boy with you, Nancy; take him quick, girl.' But before I could lay my
hand on the child I was seized and put into the boat beside Mona. The
poor girl screamed and held out her arms for the little lad, but the
boat was shoved off an' the last thing I can remember, as a mountain of
water rolled up between us an' the ship, was seein' Michael still
clingin' to the rail an' holdin' little Gerald on his arm. Then Mona
fainted agin my shoulder and I had my hands full tendin' her an' the
baby.

"It was nearly dusk when we took to the boat, an' pretty soon it was so
dark you could scarce see your hand before you. I'll never forget the
horrors of that night, indeed then I won't, tossin' o