Presently a shrill sound, very faint but prolonged, was
heard, showing that she was blowing her steam-whistle as a precaution.

"Strange, is it not, that the very thing we have been talking about
should happen?" said Mabberly.

"Nay," returned Jackman, lightly, "we were talking about being run down,
and we have not yet come to that."

"The strangest thing of all to me," said Barret, "is that, with a wide
ocean all round, vessels should ever run into each other at all, at
least on the open sea, for there is only one line, a few feet wide, in
favour of such an accident, whereas there are thousands of miles against
it."

Jackman, who was a great theorist, here propounded a reason for this.

"If vessels would only hold straight on their courses, you see," he
said, "the accident of collision would be exceedingly rare, for,
although thousands of ships might pass near to each other, not one in
ten thousand would meet; but when vessels come pretty near, their
commanders sometimes become anxious, take fancies into their heads, as
to each having forgotten the `rules of the road,' and each attempting to
correct the other--as we do sometimes in the streets--they bring about
the very disaster they are trying to avoid."

"Had we not better ring the bell, Captain?" cried Mabberly, in rising
excitement.

"Oo ay, if you think so, sir. Ring, poy!"

The boy, who was getting alarmed, seized the tongue of the ship's bell,
and rang with all his might. Whether this had the effect to which
Jackman had referred, we cannot tell, but next moment what appeared to
be a mountain loomed out of the mist. The steam-whistle had been silent
for some time, but as soon as the bell was heard it burst forth with
increased fury. From the instant her form was dimly seen the fate of
the yacht was sealed. There was a wild shouting on board the steamer,
but there was no time for action.

"Starboard hard!" was the cry.

"Starboard it is!" was the immediate answer. But before the helm could
act, the great rushing mass struck the _Fairy_ amidships, and literally
cut her in two!

The awful suddenness of a catastrophe, which those on board had just
been arguing was all but impossible, seemed to have paralysed every one,
for no one made the slightest effort to escape. Perhaps the appearance
of the wall-like bow of the steamer, without rope or projection of any
kind to lay hold of, or jump at, might have conveyed the swift
perception that their cas