Left to Themselves: Being the Ordeal of Philip and Gerald

by Edward Prime-Stevenson

“Let me go with you,” exclaimed the younger boy, dragging his shoes out from under the berth.

“I don’t know whether you’d better,” Philip returned, in sudden perplexity. Belmont came again into his mind. He was unwilling to have Gerald quit such a fortress, little as he liked leaving the boy alone. “I’ll tell you what—if you don’t mind I’d rather run out alone first for a moment. Then, if it’s any thing interesting, you know, or worth while, you can go forward with me. If it isn’t you’ll have been saved the chance of taking cold and getting mixed up in the stir. What do you say?” He was very impatient to understand the accident, and spoke loudly, so that Gerald should not hear pattering footsteps and loud voices in the saloon, where the frightened passengers were collecting.

“All right,” assented Gerald. “I’ll wait.”

“Lock the door after me. Don’t open it to any one till I come back. It isn’t safe, for particular reasons. Don’t mind the noises outside; there’s always some excitement where there are ladies, you know. Suppose you stuff those things into the bag again. We might have to change our quarters. I wont be long.”

Philip hurried out. The saloon was half-lighted, as it had been. Already there was great confusion among passengers and servants. He caught sight at once of the steward and a couple of officials. He ran up to them only to hear them repeating sharply, “No, ladies and gentlemen! we don’t know any thing yet, except that it was something down-stairs in the freight. They’re making examinations forward. Please keep cool, gentlemen! there’s no danger! No, sir, don’t know any thing yet. Haven’t heard there’s any thing serious the matter. Don’t go up that way, sir—nobody’s allowed outside. Be composed, ladies! if there’s any thing wrong you’ll be told of it presently”—and so on. But Philip hurried past them, convinced that they were nervous enough themselves, to get facts from nearer head-quarters.

But when he arrived, breathless, at the upper end of the saloon, he discovered why other people, too, were not able to get at facts from head-quarters, and that matters were not in a state yet to set any body’s mind at rest. Only one light was burning. Thirty or forty passengers were huddled there, wedged together in an anxious group in front of one of the outer doors and of the stair-way leading to the regions below. They were kept from going down by some officers ranged determinedly before them. “Keep back, gentlemen!” came the sharp orders. “No persons allowed forward or below. Nothing dangerous discovered yet. We’ll find out what’s the disturbance directly. They’re working hard below now. No, sir; you can’t go down, I say! Please keep back, gentlemen! No, sir; I can’t tell you!”

By mounting on a chair at the rear Philip found he could get a sight over the heads of those before him to the deck. There was rushing and shouting there, but up the staircase came the thud of crows and axes and something like the dashing of buckets of water. Could there be a fire below, or above, on the Old Province? The idea made him pale. But lanterns flashing back and forth in the gray mist made the only light yet visible. There was no smell of smoke. Still, up the stairs came louder than ever the breaking open of boxes and a jargon of distant activity. It was as if the freight had to be shifted. He waited a few seconds longer, but there was no more to be learned yet; that was clear. It was better to get back to the state-room and try to keep Gerald quiet in the uncertainty. Perhaps it was no serious occurrence, after all.

He jumped from his perch and turned his heel on the excited company and the flickering lights and shadows. He could answer no questions that met even him, on all sides. Evidently there was suspense—mystery. Louder and louder roared the steam from the pipes; and the shouts from below and the thumping and rolling kept on. The steamer was motionless, except for her rocking in the chopping sea.

Gerald opened the door, holding both traveling-bags in one hand. “What is it?” he began as Philip drew the bolt and took one of the bags. “Is there any danger? They’re making a great fuss outside. What has happened?”