Philip liked their lonely waiting there as little as Gerald did. It seemed best, for a few minutes, at least. So he answered, “To tell the truth, I’d rather we shouldn’t go out just yet. We shall know here about matters just as soon, for I’ll be ready to run out when I hear any thing. I’ve a particular reason.”
“All right,” assented Gerald, uneasily, but returning the smile. “What a good thing it was that we’ve neither of us undressed, isn’t it, in case we have to move?”
“Yes, rather. It will save time. Still, there don’t seem to be any thing to hurry us if we should have to move.”
“Don’t you think we ran into some other boat?”
“No, that wasn’t the trouble. It was something on board. It sounded like a cannon. I wish they’d hurry up and tell us all about it.”
With this Gerald mercifully intermitted his catechism. He put himself back in his berth. Philip’s quick ear caught a new sound――the pumps were started. Surely that was a hint of very certain and evil omen.
“Wait! I’ll be back directly,” he said, hurrying into the passage-way. There was a great stir in the saloon. “Yes, it’s true!” he heard somebody exclaim. “Don’t you hear the pumps?” “Who says so?” called out another. A man hurrying past him was inquiring, “How big is it? Why don’t they tell us that?” There could be no mistake. Part of the trouble was a leak.
“Don’t be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen,” said the mate; he was coming quickly down from the group forward, followed by a dozen clamorous passengers. “We’ve found a leak in the hold. A barrel of explosive stuff went off, but they’re getting the best of it, all right. The engineers are working. The shock’s disabled the machinery a little. It’ll soon be fixed. Don’t be frightened.”
It was a comfort to get at some part of the mystery. But the faces around the cabin were as anxious as ever. The idea of mischief to the machinery was not a soothing addition. How inexplicable the whole accident was!
Philip hied him back to Gerald. Then for a time no more information could be got. There was a leak? Yes, there was a leak, but every body could be easy. They “were getting it under control all right.” The little groups at the staircases, still held in check by the captain’s orders, waited anxiously. The pumps kept up steadily their clanging sound that had not stopped once; and to Philip and Gerald the pumps seemed to be going faster than ever by the time half an hour had gone by. Once when Touchtone stepped out for any more news he overheard an officer running by say something about “below the water-line,” and add to the head steward, “Tell Peters to get out what I said――quick!”