ird, depressing, wailing sound, like the
moaning of all the unhappy souls that were ever drowned in the
treacherous waters of the deep. Grace and her companions, now
thoroughly alarmed, felt that something extraordinary was about to
happen, and it did.

All at once it came. There was a blinding sheet of greenish flame,
followed by a deafening report. Then hell itself broke loose. The
hurricane was upon them. It came with a terrifying rush of air, which,
screeching and howling, raced along at a velocity of a hundred miles an
hour, accompanied by torrents of rain. Nothing could withstand the
whirlwind's fearful force. Everything loose on deck was instantly swept
away. The Marconi aerial wires, snapping like twine, were rendered
useless in an instant, the life-boats strained at their lashings, the
air was full of flying debris, the officers on the bridge held on for
their lives. The sea, now rising rapidly and worked into a frenzy by the
force of the wind, was nothing but a waste of seething foam. The huge
steamer heeled over at the first shock, and great, green seas, capped
with foam, began to break upon the decks. Inside, the stewards ran here
and there, closing ports, while the passengers, scared out of their
wits, were gathered in the big dining-saloon, gathering such comfort as
they could by ceaseless questioning of the busy ship's officers.

"Is there any danger, Mr. Brown?" Grace asked the second officer, as he
hurried past.

"No--no danger at all!" he laughed unconcernedly. "Just a little blow,
that's all. No storm that was ever brewed could sink this ship."

Grace was reassured, and she breathed more freely, but Mrs. Stuart was
skeptical.

"Ship's officers never acknowledge there is danger," she said crossly.
"They wouldn't admit it even if we were all struggling for our lives in
the water."

"Oh, there's no question that the ship is staunch enough," said the
professor. "The only cause for alarm would be if the hurricane blew us
out of our course and the steamer were to run on a rock."

As he spoke there was a terrifying crash of glass and an inrush of
water. Mrs. Stuart screamed, and stewards ran from all directions. A
giant wave had broken the great glass dome over the dining-room, and the
water was pouring down in torrents.

"What will become of us? Where can we go?" wailed Mrs. Stuart.

"The staterooms are the best place in a storm," said the professor.

"Yes," said Grace. "Let's go to my stateroom