They spoke almost in whispers for they had been warned against loud speech on deck. The great ship moved silently over the dark waters. So quiet was everything aboard that the wash of the waves along the hull was the only audible sound above the low throb of the engines. Only once did they hear the drone of a plane, low on the horizon. Their journey promised to be as peaceful and uneventful as a summer excursion up the Hudson.
Mabel, Janice and a couple of men officers made up a bridge game toward midnight, but Nancy felt too exhausted to play. With her musette bag and helmet beside her, her Mae West dangling from one shoulder she tried to get some sleep on a two-seated couch. By drawing her knees up under her chin she was fairly comfortable. The game near by was still going on when she dozed.
At the sound of a terrific explosion, shaking the ship from prow to stem, Nancy woke with a jolt to find herself on the floor. Total darkness shut her in like a pall, while pandemonium broke loose. She clutched at her life-preserver, buckling it into place as she called through the wild confusion, “Mabel, where are you?”
Her friend must have been sleeping on the floor near by, for she replied almost in Nancy’s ear, “Here! So this is it!”
Even while she spoke there came the thunderous voice of the captain through the loud speakers, “Abandon ship! We have been struck! We are going down!”
To Nancy’s surprise now that the crisis was upon them, she felt calm and collected. All lights had gone out with that first impact, but she had carefully memorized the route from her couch to the lifeboat. Clinging to Mabel with one hand, she felt around for her musette bag and helmet. She couldn’t locate her helmet, but she did find her bag.
“Got your bag?” she asked Mabel.
“Went to sleep on it.” Even as she spoke Mabel fished out a flashlight, dimmed with blue paper.
Lights twinkled here and there as people hurried by, some babbling hysterically, others silently intent on reaching their boats. The deck listed with a sickening lurch just as Nancy and Mabel got through the door. They went sliding with alarming speed toward the rail. Some, caught completely off their guard, were plunged into the water.
“God help us,” moaned Mabel. “She’s going under before we can get to our boat.”