histle poured forth its
warning on the night, and before the long blast had died away, up from
the depths of the dense fog bank ahead arose an echo, accentuated with
sharp, staccato shrieks. Then came a sudden, startling cry at the bow;
then deep down in the bowels of the ship the clang of the engine gong;
then, shouts, and rushings to and fro at the hidden forecastle; and
Loring started to his feet only to be hurled headlong to the deck, for,
with fearful shock, some mammoth monster struck and pierced and heeled
to port the stanch little coaster, and then, withdrawing from the
fearful rent in her quarter, came crushing and grinding down the side,
sweeping away every boat that hung at the starboard davits, ripping
through the shrouds like pack-thread, and rolling and wallowing off
astern amid a pandemonium of shouts for aid, and frantic screams of
startled women. In one minute the great steamer had vanished as suddenly
as she came, and the Idaho was settling by the bows. A signal rocket
tore aloft to tell the tale of desperate peril.

"Stand by us, Santiago! Don't you see you've cut us down?" bellowed the
captain through his trumpet. Again the steam-pipe roared and the
mournful whistle crooned the death song. No answering signal came to
cheer their hearts with hope of rescue. The great Pacific mailer was
lost in the fog full half a mile away. The crew came rushing up on deck,
reporting everything under water below. There was a mad dash of
fear-crazed men for the boats, discipline and duty both forgotten.

Over the first officer's prostrate form they sprang at the "falls" of
the sternmost--the longboat, a huge, bearded seaman in the lead. The
captain, with fury in his eye, leaped in the way, shouting blasphemy and
orders to go back, and was knocked flat with a single blow. The brawny
hand had seized the swaying tackle and three seamen were already
scrambling into the swinging craft when a revolver cracked; the big
leader threw up his hands with a yell of agony and toppled headlong upon
the deck. Then a lithe figure vaulted over the longboat's gunwale. One
after another three seamen came tumbling out abashed and overawed. The
captain regained his feet and senses. The boat was lowered by cooler
hands until it danced in safety on the waves, and one after another the
women were carefully passed down to the care of him whose stern,
clear-headed sense and instant action had proved their sole salvation--a
landsman, Loring of t