pain
which was hardly to be endured. For a long time it seemed as though no
one heard the hail of "Four-Eyes" to be taken aboard; and when at last
we watched him get on deck, he met with no resistance, but did as he
would. Under the spreading rays of our great arc you could follow the
whole scene as though by day--the hurrying crowd of seamen, the work at
the boat, the fear and terror of it all. And you could see at the last
a sight which to Black had more import than anything else in that
picture of distress and desolation.

The great ship began to heel right over. Her stern came high out of the
water, so that her screws were visible. She dipped her foc's'le clean
under the breaking sea; and so she rode during some terrible minutes.
Her own men now cast off their boats anyhow, leaving the wounded, who
cursed, or implored, or prayed, or shrieked; but "Four-Eyes" did not
come, and Black raved, looking away where the search-lights of the
other ships now showed their rapid approach. To this extraordinary man
it was the great cast of life. If the cruiser went down and his men got
no oil, we should infallibly be taken by the warships then coming upon
us; and I wonder not that in that moment he lost something of his old
calm, pacing the bridge with nervous steps, and alternately cursing or
imploring the men who could not hear.

"Why don't they come?" he asked desperately. "The lazy, loitering
snails! What are they doing there? Do you see her heeling? She can't
weather that list another five minutes. Dick! for God's sake signal to
them--the creeping vermin! Ahoy, there! Do you hear me? You aboard, are
you looking to live to-morrow, or will you lay a hundred fathoms
under--look, boys! Do you see them lights? They're warships, three of
'em! We've got to show 'em our heels, and we can't--we've no oil, not a
gallon! And they're taking their ease like fine gentlemen aboard
there--the guzzling swine--but I'll stir 'em! You Dick, fire a shot at
'em!"

Dick had just answered him, saying, "Ay, Captain, I'll gie him a wee
bit o' iron in his gizzard," when his further words were broken on his
lips, for our hands appeared at the ladder of the doomed steamer, and
they tumbled into the launch anyhow, flying madly from her side as she
plunged to a huge sea, and with one mighty roll went headlong under the
surface of the Atlantic. At that moment day broke, and, as the silver
light of the dawn spread over the dark of the sea, we saw three