" she exclaimed. "I could hear nothing for
the sound of the sea and the wind. But oh, the suspense was terrible!
My hair should be white!"

"Mademoiselle?" I asked.

"Mademoiselle sleeps," said she, and I thought there was something
significant in her voice.

It was well that Mademoiselle slept. I left her and went back to the
Prince, for more than he needed my care, and as I reached the group the
roll of the yacht sent me flying. Legrand caught me.

"We can't spare you yet, doctor," he shouted.

"Thank God for you," I answered fervently. "You came in the nick of
time."

"I thought we might have cut our way out last night, but I found we
couldn't," he explained. "You see, we only had one knife, and it has
been a tough job to get through the heavy wood of the partition."

"Thank God," I repeated, and clutched at him again as the floor rose
up. "I'm not accustomed to this," I said with a laugh. "It's worse than
the mutineers."

He answered nothing, for his gaze was directed towards the door.

"We must take charge," he shouted. "Good Lord, there's no time to
lose."

"Holgate's there," I screamed back. "He went to look after the ship."

We stood holding on to each other, and Barraclough, Lane and the Prince
were holding on by the brass rods on the cabin doors. She rolled and
kicked and stood up at an angle of 45 deg.

"What is it?" I screamed.

Legrand pointed to the blackness without. "We'll get it in a little. I
hope to God it will be no worse than this. She can't stand on her head
with safety."

Suddenly the roar swelled louder, and dismal shrieks and whistlings
sounded in the ears. The _Sea Queen_ sank, and a whole tide of sea
rushed over the bulwarks and flooded the state-rooms. The water ran
knee-deep and set the bodies of the dead awash. One struck against me
in the whirlpool. It was a ghastly scene, set in that gathered
darkness.

"Nothing can be done. We've got to hold on," said Legrand. "He's a good
seaman; I'll say that for him. But how many's he got with him? He's
undermanned. It's all on the engine-room now."

We were silent again, mainly because it was almost impossible to hear
anything through that tempest of wind and volcanic sea. She came right
for a moment, and our grip of each other relaxed.

"I'm going, Legrand," I called to him.

"Don't be a fool," said he.

"Oh, I'm all right. I've forgotten something," I shouted. "I'll see to
myself"; and I cut myself adrift from him.

I cr