The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-11-04
CHAPTER XII.

Inc ola lazy SdI up lmIuCoiot@'J'
She was in an upper berth and a
gone regularly to bed.
II am rather stiff" she said to
Gertrude. Gould you kindly help
me to get down."
Then Mary Burt came, and the two
together dressed her completely In a
few seconds. Just a. they had I'm
is.hed the cabin door was burst open
impetuously and a s~andy-haired
young man, much freckled, with a
wide mouth, fat nose and laughing
blue eyes, dressed in shirt and trou-
sers only, barefooted, and with his
braces hanging down behind, rushed
in. He had a life-belt on his Shout
der.
"Oh, mamma, there you are!" he
said, cheerfully, to the sweet little
| elderly lady. "You really do look
nice, but you just want this to COM
plete your 'costoom,'" and he care
! fully put the life-belt round her.
Now, old lady, just take my arm and
let me escort you"
DUTY first" he said, putting him.
self out with a fine affectation of i'm
portance, and hurrying her out as
he spoke. "Ill just see you safe on
deck, and then III look after the
girls"
Now that the door was open those
below could hear what was said by
the hoarse voices shouting necessarily
to each other above, and just at this
moment they heard the order bawled,
Bring up the women! There's not a
moment to be LOST" and as if to en-
phasize it, the atmosphere of the
ladies' cabin began to grow thick
with smoke. Several of the ladies
shrieked Historically, which made the
Gstewardess more irascible than ever.
She said it was just the kind OF thing
she could not stand, and, beginning
with the nearest, she was apparently
going all round to shake them n by
one into their senses methodically.
But several gentlemen now came to
the rescue, and in a few seconds, by
dint Of pulling, hauling, driving and
| coaxing, the more helpless were safe
ly huddled up on deck, the others fol-
lowing as they were able. Gertrude
was the last to leave the cabin, hav.
ing been obliged to return for a love-
ly little child who was lame. His
mother had gone herself-and forgot
ten him. The scene on deck, for
those who had courage and leisure to
observe it, was at once grand and ap-
palling. The fire was in the fore part
Of the ship. The engines had
stopped, and the vessel had headed
I'D to the wind, which now blew the
smoke and fame aft in %scorching, suf-
locating volumes. The pumps were
| still going frantically, and a chain of
men, mostly passengers, in motley
garb, night shirts, day shirts, many
hued flannel and cotton shirts, no
shirts at all, but drawers or trousers,
often evidently not belonging to the
wearer, judging by the f1t-and ell
more or less scorched and begrimed,
passed buckets full of water to the
fire and back again empty to the side
of the vessel, where two men with
ropes and hooks at the end Of them,
with almost rhythmical regularity,
| continually filled them afresh in the
sea. There was silence save for the
shouting Of directions, which were
repeated from one to the other, and
such perfect order prevailed that had
it not been for the sight Of fire, which
is always terrific, no cause for alarm
would have been APPARENT. The cap
tain was as cool as when he left port
that night, and his officers supported
him manfully, while the conduct OF
the crew and most of the passengers
left nothing to be. desired. Some, In
fact, of the latter behaved h~eroically'
But all their efforts only sufficed to
check the fire for a time, never for a
moment were they able to control it.
There were one hundred and fifty
passengers on board, over sixty OF
whom were women; and there were
about fifteen children, nearly all
babies in arms. The greater number
of women and children were second.
class passengers, but all were huddled
together now in the after part OF the
ship, the working women generally
setting an example of patient forti'
tude which might have made. many
of their so-called betters blush. As
usual, however, in times Of great ex'
element, the best as we'll as the worst
traits of character were freely exhib'
tied.
To be Continued.