He
muttered a few words in the Hispano-Indian patois which his hearers
best understood, and the scene in the saloon changed with wondrous
suddenness. The glow of the electric lamps banished the gathering
shadows. The luxurious comfort of the apartment soon dispelled the
notion of danger. Coffee was brought. The smoking saloon was
inaccessible, owing to the closing of the gangway, but the chief
steward suggested that the gentlemen might smoke if the ladies were
agreeable. Under such circumstances the ladies always are agreeable,
and the instant result was a distinct rise in the social barometer.
The noise of the steam exhaust ceased as abruptly as it began. The
ship was riding easily in spite of the heavy sea. Drifting with wind
and wave is a simple thing for a big vessel. There is no struggle, no
tearing asunder of resisting forces. Thus might a boat caught in the
pitiless current of Niagara glide towards the brink of the cataract
with cunning smoothness.
And then, while the occupants of the saloon were endeavoring to
persuade each other that all was well, the loud wail of the siren
thrilled them with increased foreboding.
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