CHAPTER I.

SHIPWRECKED.

G-R-R-R--R! Thump!

"What was that?"

Jack Lakewood stuck his head out from the lower bunk as he almost yelled the question.

"What's the matter now?" came in sleepy tones from the upper bunk.

"Sounded as though we'd struck something."

"Oh, go back to sleep, you've been having a nightmare."

"Night-mare nothing. Listen."

A faint sound of voices reached their ears and, a moment later, the sound of hurrying footsteps past the door of their state-room brought Jack out into the middle of the room.

"I tell you we hit something," he cried. "Don't you notice that the engines have stopped?"

"You're right about that anyhow," Bob Lakewood replied as he slid from the upper bunk to the floor. "We'd better get dressed so as to be on the safe side."

"I'll say we had," Jack agreed pulling off his pajamas. "I don't suppose it's anything--"

"All hands on deck, quick!"

The order was shouted outside their door to be repeated an instant later further down the corridor.

"That sounds ominous," Bob declared pulling on his trowsers.

"I'll say it does. We'd better make it snappy."

"Don't forget your money."

"And we'd better slip on a life preserver," Jack added as he pulled two of them out from beneath the bunk.

"Wonder what we hit?" Bob asked as he strapped the life preserver over his coat.

"Iceberg likely, or maybe a derelict."

"More likely the latter," Bob said.

"You ready?"

"Come on."

Bob pulled the door open and they stepped out into the corridor. The sound of voices some shrill and others low and gruff seemed to fill the ship. As they started toward the stairway, a little way back, a half dressed woman, her arms filled with clothes, rushed up to them.

"Oh, what has happened?" she gasped.

"I'm afraid we hit something," Bob told her.

"Is the ship going to sink?" she cried.

"I hope not," Bob tried to reassure her. "But you had better get back to your state-room and finish dressing and put on a preserver."

"Are you sure there'll be time?"

"I think so. Where is your room?"

"Just around the corner."

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, all alone. Oh, this is awful. I know the ship is going to sink and we'll all be drowned."

"Come quick," Bob ordered taking hold of her arm and drawing her along. "Is this your room?" he asked as he turned a corner and saw a door half open.

"This is it, yes."

"Then lose no time. Put on the warmest thing you have and, as soon as you're ready, I'll strap on your life preserver."

The woman slipped into the room and closed the door while he was speaking.

"All hands on deck, and make it quick."

Doors were opening all along the corridor now and people, some fully dressed and others only half clothed, were rushing toward the stairway.

"Better put on life preservers," Bob yelled.

Some turned back at the suggestion while others in a state of frenzy rushed along the corridor intent only on getting to the upper deck.

"Why doesn't she hurry?" Jack asked impatiently as he glanced both ways.

"I'm ready."

The door was pushed open and the boys stepped in. The woman, or rather girl, for she could not have been more than twenty, was now fully dressed and, reaching beneath the bunk, Bob dragged out a life preserver and, an instant later, had it strapped securely about her.

"It's so brave and kind of you to wait for me," she whispered.

"Got a bag?" Bob asked.

"All my valuables are in this little bag," she replied picking up a small leather bag from the bunk. "I suppose I'll have to leave my trunk here," she sighed.

"I'm afraid so," Bob said. "And you'd better take the bag as we may be separated," he added.

"All hands out on deck. No time to lose."

"I'm ready," she cried, and the next moment they were hurrying along the corridor evidently the last of those who had rooms in that part of the ship.

"Do you think we're too late?" she gasped as they reached the foot of the stairway.

"No, they'll have boats enough to hold everybody. Have to since the Titanic went down, you know," Bob told her as they started to mount the stairs.

On deck the scene was one of indescribable confusion. Officers were rushing about shouting out orders and trying to calm the excited passengers, while the creak of ropes as the life boats were lowered added a sinister note to the occasion. Cries of men trying to locate their wives or children and of women separated from their loved ones, added also to the confusion.

"Women and children first. Stand back there or I'll fire."

The deck was lighted by many lights and the boys could see the captain of the ship, close by the rail, as he endeavored to hold back the swarm of fear crazed men from the steerage as they fought for a place in each boat before it was lowered to the water.

But he might as well have tried to hold back the tide itself. The crowd, many of them foreigners, fought like wild beasts and there was immediate danger that the brave captain would be overpowered.

"Come on, Jack boy, we've got to take a hand in this," Bob said in a low voice as he grabbed the girl by the arm and urged her forward.

Holding her close as possible he pushed into the fighting mob closely followed by Jack.

"Way for the lady," he shouted pushing a big Swede aside.

With a snort of anger the man aimed a blow for Bob's head but he saw it coming in time to duck and the next instant he had planted a beautiful right, with all his strength behind it, on the point of the Swede's chin. The man went down as though a sledge hammer had struck him and, for an instant, the crowd gave way enabling them to reach the captain's side. A boat was just being lowered and, as Bob spied an empty seat close up by the bow, he shouted:

"There's room for one more there, Captain."

"All right, but hurry," the captain cried.

Both boys helped the girl over the side into the boat and, a moment later she vanished as it quickly slid down to the water.

There had been a moment's pause in the mad struggle for a place in the boats but now, as another was swung over the side, the rush began again.

"Back, you men. Women and children first," the captain again shouted waving his revolver.

"I've as mooch right ter save my life as a woman," shouted a big German as he reached for the side of the swinging boat.

"Not on this boat, you haven't," Bob yelled as he seized the man by the coat collar and yanked him back.

The man fell sprawling on the deck and, before he could scramble to his feet, Bob had leaped onto the rail where he stood holding onto a rope. Lifting his free hand high in the air he shouted at the top of his voice.

"Are you all cowards? There are still women and children to go in the boats. Let's be men."

"Hurrah for the kid," shouted a voice some feet away.

The effect, whether of Bob's short speech or of the man's cheer, was magical and Jack, who was directly in front of his brother, was quick to take advantage of the lull in the mad struggle.

"Make way, now, for those women behind there," he shouted as he urged aside those in front of him.

Like children the foreigners obeyed and in an instant he had opened up a lane and was beckoning to a dozen women and as many children who had been standing back despairing of being able to get to the boat.

"Quick, now," he ordered, motioning them to come.

They rushed after him and, a moment later another boat load was lowered to the water.

Much the same scene had been taking place in other parts of the ship where the boats were being filled under the supervision of the officers, but nowhere had the confusion been so great as here. And now, it being pretty certain that all the women and children had been placed in the boats, the men were allowed to take their places and boat after boat was quickly filled and lowered. In this work Bob and Jack assisted the captain in keeping some semblance of order and that officer was loud in his praise of their action.

"I don't know what I would have done had it not been for you," he panted as, all the passengers in sight having found a place in the life boats they had a moment's breathing spell.

"You think she'll go down?" Bob asked.

"No doubt of it. See how she's settling in the bow."

A single glance was enough to convince even a land lubber that the big ship was doomed. Already the deck sloped sharply toward the bow and in addition there was a decided list to port.

"You boys get into this boat," the captain ordered as two sailors swung the last boat in sight over the side. "I must make sure that no one is left behind." And, before they could say a word he was off down the stairway.

There seemed nothing to do but obey his order and they lost no time in climbing into the boat.

"Is this the last one?" Jack asked one of the sailors who was holding on to the rope.

"No, there's three or four more on the upper deck but I reckon we won't need 'em. Most of the crew has gone already."

"Will he have time to make the round of the ship?" Bob asked anxiously.

"Reckon so. The mates are helpin' him. She ought ter hold up another fifteen minutes or so."

"What did we hit?" Jack asked.

"Nobody knows fer sure, but it must have been a derelict an' a sunken one at that 'cause the lookout swears as how he was on his job an' that there wasn't a thing in sight an' Toby's a good man all right."

"Probably you're right," Bob agreed.

At that moment two men came running from the stern of the ship and Bob noticed that they wore the uniforms of first and second mates.

"Hasn't the captain come back yet?" the first mate asked anxiously.

"Not yet," one of the sailors replied.

"It's strange. We left him below and he didn't have as much of the ship to look through as we did, and he ought to be here."

"He'll have to hustle or he'll be too late," the second mate declared. "She's going to take her last dive before many minutes."

As he finished speaking all the lights suddenly went out. Fortunately it was moonlight and they could see for some distance.

"Water's got up to the dynamos," the first mate announced.

"And what's more the wind's getting up too," the other mate said.

When the boys had first reached the deck there was only a light breeze blowing, but it had been steadily increasing and now had grown to a strong wind.

"We can't wait much longer," the second mate declared. "What in the world do you suppose is keeping him?"

"But you wouldn't go without him?" Bob suggested.

"I'd hate to, but there's no use in all of us going down."

"Which we're going to do if we're not off in less than ten minutes," the other added. "I tell you she's going down mighty soon."

"Then let's go."

"But we can't leave him," Bob insisted.

"You jest watch us, matey," one of the sailors broke in as he sprang over the rail into the boat still holding the lowering rope.

"Give me five minutes and I'll go see if I can find him," Bob proposed.

"All right, but yer've got to hustle," the sailors agreed grudgingly.

Bob waited no longer, but dashed for the stairway.

"You go back, Jack," he shouted as he turned at the head of the stairs and saw his brother close at his heels.

"Back nothing," the boy yelled. "Now, don't stop to argue because it won't do any good."

Bob knew his brother well enough to know that it would be useless to say anything more so he leaped down the stairs and Jack followed.

"Oh, Captain!" he shouted as soon as he had reached the foot.

There was no answer.

"He must be up forward somewhere," Jack shouted as he started toward the bow.

Fortunately the boys had had the foresight to slip into their pockets their flashlights and, with their aid, they quickly located a door on the far side of the large hall, which opened into a corridor leading to the bow. On both sides of this corridor were staterooms and into these they peeped, Bob taking those on the right side while Jack followed suit on the left. But the captain was in none of them and they reached the open deck in the bow without having discovered him. From time to time they had called at the top of their voice without result.

"If he's in this part of the boat he must be dead or unconscious," Bob declared as he threw the light from his flash over the deck.

"Well, there's no use standing here," Jack returned. "There's a passage on each side close to the rail. You take one and I'll take the other."

As Bob reached the right hand rail he noticed with a shudder of alarm that the water was nearly on a level with the deck. "She can't stay afloat much longer," he thought as he pushed open the door of the first room.

He had covered about half the rooms in the row when he heard a faint cry from the other side of the ship.

"Bob--Bob. This way, quick!"

Like a flash he sped down the corridor and, as he reached the other side of the ship, he saw Jack standing about half way down the passageway.

"Found him?" he yelled.

"Yes, he in this room, but I'm afraid he's dead."

By this time Bob was at the door of the stateroom and, a moment later, was bending over the body of the captain who was stretched on the floor face up.

"He isn't dead," he announced after he had laid his head on his chest.

"Then we've got to get him up. You take his head and I'll take his feet. Quick now."

Fortunately the captain was not a large man and could not have weighed over one hundred and forty pounds so they had little trouble in carrying him.

"Wonder if they've waited," Jack panted as they came to the foot of the stairs.

"We've been gone mor'n five minutes," Bob told him.

A moment later they had reached the middle deck and their first glance was toward the rail where they had left the two mates and the two sailors.

"They've gone!" Bob gasped.

"What do you know about that? The cowards!" Jack added.