"Are you there, Reynolds?"
"Right here, Raleigh," came back the response. "There is no hope here.
How about you?"
"No hope here either," was Captain Raleigh's answer.
"Goodbye, then," shouted Captain Reynolds.
"Goodbye, old man!"
They were the last words spoken by these two old friends, who had been boys together, schoolmates and bosom companions.
Suddenly the two ships took their final plunge. Men still on board, those of the crew who had been frightened and had not cast themselves into the sea, straightened instinctively as they felt the vessels give beneath them. In the presence of death—when they knew it had arrived— they were as brave and courageous as in the midst of battle.
So there was silence aboard the Queen Mary and aboard the Indefatigable as the waves parted for their coming. All on board, officers and members of the two crews as well, stood calmly, waiting for the dark waters to close over them.
The two ships made a last desperate effort to resist the call of the sea. They failed. A moment later they disappeared from sight. No sound came from the depths.
When Frank and Jack had felt themselves in the water, the latter, realizing immediately what would happen if the ships sank before they had put some distance in between them, struck out swiftly toward what he felt to be the south, giving Frank a hand as he did so.