in and Mr. Tollemache, who had returned from his
stateroom, and was standing in the half light of a doorway, should
simultaneously drop their right hands into a coat pocket. Mr.
Tollemache, too, gave a queer little nod to the American, who had moved
near to Isobel and placed a hand on her shoulder. Elsie was quite sure
that Gray whispered: "For goodness' sake, don't cause a scene!" And,
indeed, he did ask Isobel and Mrs. Somerville, with some curtness, to
restrain themselves.

Courtenay, with one cold glance, chilled into silence the muttered
prayers and curses of the Chileans.

"It may be necessary, about daybreak, to endeavor to beach the ship,"
he continued. "I wish you all, therefore, to guard against possible
exposure by wearing warm clothes, especially furs and overcoats. Money
and jewelry should be secured, but no baggage of any sort, not even the
smallest handbag, can be carried, as all other personal belongings must
be left on board. Passengers will gather here, and remain here until I
send one of the officers for them. The companion doors will not be
closed again, but the decks are quite impassable. You hear for
yourselves that they are momentarily swept by heavy seas."

He turned to the chief steward.

"Your men, Mr. Malcolm," he said, "will begin at once, under your
directions, to draw stores for each boat. There need be no hurry or
excitement. We are, as yet, many miles distant from the nearest known
land. If the wind changes, or one of several possible things happens,
the _Kansas_ will suffer no damage whatever. I wish all hands to be
prepared, however, for the chance, the remote chance, I trust, of the
ship's being driven ashore, and I beg each one of you to remember that
discipline and strict obedience to orders are not only more necessary
now than ever, but also that they will be strictly enforced."

The concluding sentence was uttered very slowly and clearly. It was
evident he meant the ship's company to understand him. Before any of
his hearers attempted to question him, he jammed the sou'wester on his
head and ran up the stairs. The dog followed, somewhat ruefully, the
cozy saloon being far more to his liking than the wind-swept,
spray-lashed chart-house. Mr. Malcolm promptly stirred his myrmidons
with a command to fall in by boats' crews, and Gomez won his chief's
approval by quietly translating the captain's orders. Beyond Mrs.
Somerville's subdued sobbing there was little out