The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-11-11

QeleHQ IL. IQeTS was a COHluScu
movement among the men. All were
in rags alike, with the exception Of
the ships officers, who had not
turned in at all, and some few pas
sengers, who had not dressed, and
these were begrimed with smoke and
drenched with water till they looked
as bad as the mob of tatterde-
nations by whom they we're sur
rounded. No eye could have told
a gentleman from a navy when the
order was given, but during the few
seconds of confusion which followed
a separation of classes as distinct as
first and third took place, and the
gentlemen in tatters, with some few
who could not have been recognized
as gentlemen elsewhere, but who
now proved their right to the appel
lation by being there, had formed
a semicircle, within which was the
group of frightened women, round
the gangway, and turned a bold front
to the men who had worked with
them shoulder to shoulder SO gallant
ly, suffering the torture Of scorch-
ing fire, and scalding steam, and
binding, suffocating smoke, and the
risk of a horrid death for more than
an hour, but were now, such is the
uncertainty of poor, weak human ma
ture, suddenly transformed into fe-
rocious savages, expressing with
threatening gestures their determina-
ton to save themselves, no matter
who might perish. And so far as
many of them were concerned, a very
few minutes decided it. But all that
Gertrude knew of it was that on a
sudden there arose a great uproar,
unlike anything that had preceded
it; then men hurled each other to
the deck, falling with great thuds,
and lying there while others trampled
over them and pressed each other
backward into the fire also, and'
swarmed up the rigging, and dropped
from thence again, falling into the
black and shining water like wing
less insects, seen for a moment by
the light Of the burning ship, and
then gone beyond its radius, gone to
eternity many of them, sacrificed,
with help at hand, to the blind fury
of that senseless panic. A shot or
two was fired, the order was given
for the boats to shove off, and then
all at once there seemed to be a great
silence, accentuated, as it were, by
the roar of the fire and the crackle
of the spars. as it devoured them.
You'd better step into the water
now" young Redmond suggested to
Gertrude, politely, at the same time
handing her to the gangway. But
she hung back with unconquerable
aversion. The dark water appalled,
her. "Oh, I see," he went on. "You
don't like to leave the ship until
they collect the tickets-like to do
everything in order, Ell? There's
the captain, trying to deprive that
Sister Of Charity of her martyrdom.
Go and take leave of him and thank
him for a pleasant voyage. By Jove"
in another tone-'if you don't
leave the ship, she'll leave you"
The vessel had given an unac-
countable lurch. Gertrude looked
round in a frightened way. The two
Sisters of Charity were still kneeling
on the deck, side by side, in rapt de-
votion. Every persuasion had failed
to move them. They were deter
mined to be martyrs, and were en-
joying the position thoroughly in
their own way. The captain left
them nov and came to Gertrude.
She had refused to take her place in
the boats while she had a chance,
making way for more terrified women
and staying till the last to encourage
the timid; and now there was moth
ing for it but to take to the water
or go down with the ship.
Gomez" the captain and young
Redmond both exclaimed in a breath,
each taking a hand. They stood in
the breech between the bulwarks for
a moment. "a long jump now" said
the captain, land we're clear of the
ship. One, two, three" and at
the word they jumped, still holding
each others hands. The captain let
go as they touched the water, which
splashed cold round Gertrude, with
a painful shock that made her gasp;
but she chung convulsively to young
Redmond, and did not go under be-
cause of the life-belt. They must
have dropped into a strong current,
for they Immediately swept astern
of the blazing ship, which doomed
up for an instant above them, and
then fell back, a. it were, into the
night, which it lighted like a beacon.
You are pulling me under!" Ger
trude exclaimed. Young Redmond
had been clutching her by the arm.
IT beg your pardon" he gasped,
politely. at the same l~oosening his
hold.
To he Topfiprod