Mrs. Gray did not speak, but dropped into a chair as if utterly helpless.
“What is it,” again cried Etta.
Mrs. Gray raised her head and uttered that one word, so terrible to hear at sea: “Fire!!”
“O, mamma, is the ship on fire?”
By this time Mrs. Gray had recovered her composure, and, answered, “yes, on fire. Do what you can quickly to save what valuables you have. Your father says there is considerable powder in the vessel, and, that we shall probably have to take to the boats to save our lives.”
Indeed, already while they had been speaking, the men had been busy supplying the life boats with barrels of sea biscuit, and salt beef, and casks of fresh water and other necessities; and the scene which had so lately been one of placid enjoyment, had, in a moment been turned into the wildest confusion. Sailors running here and there, officers shouting out orders, and above it all, the smoke arising in dense clouds. The life boats were soon ready for their precious human freight. Into one boat Mrs. Gray, Allen Thornton, the three girls, the captain and four sailors went, the rest of the crew taking another boat. The men set the sails on the captain’s boat, and, as there was a brisk breeze blowing, together with the fact that the men bent manfully to the oars, they were soon a safe distance from the burning ship, and looking back could see the flames bursting out all over her.
All at once there was a frightful noise, and as they looked, they saw the vessel torn asunder, portions of her being thrown high in the air. It was as if she had lifted herself out of her watery bed in one wild leap of joy, at no longer being under the control of human hands, but left to the mad caprice, of the wild elements—fire and water. As a portion of the smoke cleared away the now shipwrecked watchers could see that she has been completely shattered by the terrible explosion, and, that what had been so lately a noble vessel, breasting the waves with majestic calm, was now gone from the face of the waters; no more should she sail away with her sails bellying in the breeze, her flag and pennon floating gaily at her mastheads; no more should loving eyes gaze out over the harbor bar with longing anxiety for her coming, bringing loved ones home. No, she had gone, gone forever.
The day passed slowly enough to our friends. All through the afternoon they kept in sight of the other boat load of fellow sufferers. As the day advanced, the breeze, which had been blowing all day, was a strong gale by the time night had fallen, with that suddenness, which seems, in a moment, to envelop the sea and earth as with a dark shroud dropped by mysterious hand from heaven.
There is in the tropics no gentle approach of night, no soft shades of twilight, that time when all heaven and earth is hushed in dreamy, restful quiet; that time between the busy, gay and garish day and the dark, gruesome night. The darkness seemed to increase the uneasiness of all on board the little craft as they were afraid the high winds might drive them against some of the large pieces of wreckage which, before nightfall they had seen not far from them; and if such an accident happened to them there would be little chance of their escaping a most horrible death. But their fears from that source were fortunately not realized.
At last morning dawned, but bringing no abatement of the storm; in fact, the southerly gale had increased to almost a hurricane in violence.