Dr. Dale offered up an earnest prayer for their safe deliverance from this terrible peril, in which all those within hearing joined; and it seemed indeed as though nothing short of divine interposition could save them from a watery grave.
The clank of the pumps resounded through the ship and sounded to the passengers like the knell of doom. The crew worked in relays, and as fast as one shift had toiled to the verge of exhaustion another group took their places. They worked with the energy of desperation, for they knew that they were fighting for their own lives as well as for those of the passengers.
In the meantime the engineers were risking their lives a dozen times over in trying to patch up the rent in the damaged bow of the boat. Some of them had been lowered over the side by means of ropes, and the sea dashed over them constantly as they sought to cover the rent with heavy canvas. If this could be done successfully it would keep out the bulk of the water, and the pumps might be able to keep the vessel going until the promised help arrived.
That help seemed an endless time in coming, but at length the captain’s night glasses caught sight of a point of light upon the waves. It came nearer and nearer until it became evident that a ship was bearing down upon them. A great rocket soared into the air in answer to those sent up by the Horolusa, and in the light from it could be seen the outline of a large steamer that changed its course and swept around until it was parallel with the Horolusa and yet at a sufficient distance to prevent the vessels being driven into each other.
The roar of the storm prevented any call being heard from one captain to the other, but down in the wireless room the operators were busy and a plan of action was agreed upon. By this time the patch of sail had been fastened over the hole in the bow of the Horolusa, and she had ceased to settle in the water. With the sea shut out from the bow, the pumps speedily cleared out the water that was already in the hold of the ship and she was perceptibly rising in the water. If the patch held, the vessel might still be saved, or at least kept afloat until the sea calmed down, when permanent repairs could be made.
As the fate of the Horolusa’s lifeboats had proved that it was impossible for small boats to live in such a sea, it was arranged that the Falcon as the rescuing vessel was named, would stand by until morning or until the storm abated, and then either take the Horolusa’s passengers aboard or try to help the vessel itself into port.
Two hours later the lights of another vessel loomed above the horizon and the steamer Esperanto came hurrying to help. She too offered to stand by and give every assistance in her power.
The relief of the passengers of the Horolusa, who for hours had been gazing into the very eyes of death, were beyond the power of words to express. When Dr. Dale, who had visited the wireless room, came back to report that the S. O. S. message that had brought the two vessels to their aid had been relayed from Ocean Point the wonder of those from Clintonia broke out in exclamations.
“And a curious thing,” the doctor added, “is that the operators feel sure that the call was sent by amateurs. There was something about it—something halting, uncertain—that made them sure it didn’t come from a professional. Perhaps—who knows?—it may have been Bob or Joe whose message saved the ship!”
“If we are really saved,” came with a shudder from Mrs. Layton. “If only the storm were over!”