the doomed
ship. Suddenly came a shock that even under water seemed to drive his
ear-drums in.

Then he felt himself seized as if in a giant's grip and dragged down,
down, down. His vision grew scarlet. His heart beat as if it must burst
from his frame and his entire body felt as if it was being cruelly
compressed in a monster vise. Jack knew what had occurred: the boilers
of the _Oriana_ had blown up and he was being carried down by the
suction of the hull as it sank.

Just as he felt that he could no longer endure the strain, the dragging
sensation ceased. Like a stone from a catapult Jack was projected up
again to the surface of the sea. The sky, the ocean, everything burned
red as flame as he regained the blessed air and sucked it in in great
lungfulls.

For a moment or so he was actually unconscious. Then, as his normal
functions returned, and his sight grew less blurred, he made out a hatch
floating not far from him. He struck out for this and clambered upon it.
The sea was strewn with the wreckage of the explosion. Beams, skylights,
even charred and blistered metal liferafts floated all about him. But
these did not engross Jack's attention for long after he had cast his
gaze in the direction where the _Oriana_ last lay. There he encountered
an extraordinary sight.

On the surface of the ocean floated the stern section of the sunken
steamer. To it still clung the occupants that he had last seen there.
Jack rubbed his eyes and looked and looked again. Yes, there was no
doubt about it, the after part of the _Oriana_ was still afloat,
although how long it would remain so it was impossible to say.

Jack guessed, and as it afterward transpired, guessed correctly, that
the watertight bulkhead doors, which had automatically been closed all
over the ship when the collision occurred, were sustaining the stern
fragment of the ship on the surface. This part of the _Oriana_, unharmed
by the explosion or the collision, was now floating much as a corked
bottle might be expected to do, excepting, of course, that there was a
marked list to the drifting fragment.[1]

[Footnote 1: The after part of the ill-fated tank steamer _Oregon_, sunk
100 miles off Sandy Hook, in 1913, when, during a severe storm, she
broke in two, floated with the survivors in exactly the manner described
in the _Oriana's_ case.--Author's Note.]

Jack now saw the scattered boats returning to the scene. The man in
command of each was urging the crews