“I thought we were goners, sure,” declared Bill, soberly. “A little of that sort of thing goes a long way. I—— Hark!”
From the lower decks there now came the confused noise of a frightened crowd. Now and then, above, could be heard the shrieks of an hysterical woman. Sharp, authoritative voices belonging, as the boys guessed, to the officers, who were trying to quiet the panic-stricken throngs, occasionally sounded above the babel.
“They’re coming this way!” cried Jack suddenly, as a rush of feet could be heard making for the ascents to the boat deck, where the wireless coop was situated. “Bill, we’ll be in the middle of a first-class panic in a minute.”
“Yes, if that crowd gets up here among the boats, there’s going to be the dickens popping,” agreed Bill. “What will we do?”
“Run into the wireless room. In the drawer of the desk by the safe there are two revolvers. One’s mine and the other belongs to Poffer. Get them on the jump.”
It did not take Bill long to carry out his errand, but in even the short time that he had been absent, the forefront of the terrified crowd from below was almost at the head of the companionway leading from the promenade to the boat deck. Jack had stationed himself at the head of it.
“Keep cool, everybody,” he was shouting; “there is no danger.”
“The Titanic!” shrieked somebody. “We’ve hit an iceberg. We’ll sink like her.”
“The boats!” shouted a man. “We’ll lower ’em ourselves. We’re sinking!”
In the gloom Jack could see the man’s face, round and white, with a big yellow mustache.