Then came a sound that held them, fascinated them—a sound fraught with terror—a woman's voice, clear as a bell, calling from where the lights had been, the voice distinct above the roar of the wind.
"Harry ... Harry ... Harry...."
The wind brought the sound to them, magnifying it, subduing it. Immediately after, came a chorus of voices, calling as if from a great distance, "Harry ... Harry ... Come to us ... Come ..." the woman's voice yet strong above them all.
The captain muttered something incoherent. Then he turned to the three men who had followed him from the cabin and shouted, waving the message from the radio operator, "Cumberland calling! Something's wrong."
One of the three launched himself suddenly forward, striking Captain Henderson, and pushing him violently aside. He sprawled on the deck, but felt hands helping him to his feet almost immediately. At the same moment the voice of Munro came to him, shouting, "Man overboard—Man overboard!"
"Good God!" shouted the captain. "Shut up, Munro. We can't send any one out there to look for him." He swung about and looked at the men grouped about him; almost at once he saw that the man named Allison was missing.
Wembler pushed himself forward, his face white and drawn. "You wouldn't find him, Captain," he said, shaking his head. "You'd never find him. Harry Allison was first mate on the Cumberland a year ago—he wasn't 'Allison' then. And he was my brother-in-law!"
The captain waved his arm toward the place where the lights had been. "And that?" he shouted frenziedly. "What was all that?"
Wembler's hand closed over Henderson's arm. "You heard, Captain. It was the Cumberland sinking, just as she did a year ago when that blackguard blew her up. And I heard my sister's voice calling to Allison—and the others. The souls of those people he killed in his devilish jealousy came back for him!"