Part 28 (1/2)

Next came the stampede for life preservers. Men fought over their possession, whereas, in cooler moments, hardly a man aboard either s.h.i.+p who would not willingly have given the life preservers to companions.

Had the men thrown themselves into the sea immediately, it is likely that many of them would have been saved; but their hesitation cost them dearly.

In vain did the reversed engines of both s.h.i.+ps work. The sharp steel bow of the _Indefatigable_ had become so firmly embedded in the side of the _Queen Mary_ that it could not be unloosened.

And so the two battles.h.i.+ps sank, together in their last moments as they had been when they had faced almost certain destruction under the muzzles of the great German guns such a short time before.

Now men from both s.h.i.+ps hurled themselves into the sea in an effort to cheat the waters of their prey. Commanders and officers, however, realizing that there was no hope of life even in the sea, so swiftly were the s.h.i.+ps sinking, stood calmly on the bridges and awaited the end. For, they realized, the suction would be so strong when the vessels took their final plunge, that all those anywhere near in the water would be drawn under.

Captain Raleigh sent a hail across the water in a loud voice.

”Are you there, Reynolds?”

”Right here, Raleigh,” came back the response. ”There is no hope here.

How about you?”

”No hope here either,” was Captain Raleigh's answer.

”Goodbye, then,” shouted Captain Reynolds.

”Goodbye, old man!”

They were the last words spoken by these two old friends, who had been boys together, schoolmates and bosom companions.

Suddenly the two s.h.i.+ps took their final plunge. Men still on board, those of the crew who had been frightened and had not cast themselves into the sea, straightened instinctively as they felt the vessels give beneath them. In the presence of death--when they knew it had arrived-- they were as brave and courageous as in the midst of battle.

So there was silence aboard the _Queen Mary_ and aboard the _Indefatigable_ as the waves parted for their coming. All on board, officers and members of the two crews as well, stood calmly, waiting for the dark waters to close over them.

The two s.h.i.+ps made a last desperate effort to resist the call of the sea. They failed. A moment later they disappeared from sight. No sound came from the depths.

When Frank and Jack had felt themselves in the water, the latter, realizing immediately what would happen if the s.h.i.+ps sank before they had put some distance in between them, struck out swiftly toward what he felt to be the south, giving Frank a hand as he did so.

The latter recovered himself a moment later, however, and gasped.

”I'm all right, Jack. Let me swim for myself.”

”All right,” said Jack, ”but keep close beside me. We'll have to hurry or we shall be pulled under by the suction when the s.h.i.+ps sink.”

Keeping close together they swam with powerful strokes.

And so it was that they were out of harm's way when the two s.h.i.+ps disappeared from sight with a deafening roar as the waters closed over them; they were beyond reach of the suction.

”There they go,” said Frank, sadly.

”And it is only a miracle that prevented us from going with them,” said Jack.

”We might as well have gone as to be in the middle of the North Sea,”

said Frank.