"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.