CHAPTER LIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 232, 10 December 1887, Page 7

CHAPTER LIV.

No more agonising ciy e\ei went up horn earth to heaven than thai. Itv>as heard fiom c\eiy quaitcr of the ship ; ib burst from men, women and children, in every tone of hon or, anguish and despair. And well it miorhfc, for no more appalling disaster ever fell upon humanity than a fire at sea. On the forward deck were gatheicd about three hundred men, women and children, awaiting their doom with more or le.^ foi ti tude, according to individunl age, se\ or temperament. Home were screaming, some groaning, some weeping, some piaying, and others exhorting their companions in misfortune to patience, hope and coinage. Among these pascengeth also stood Gciakl Fitzgerald, with Ocraldino clinging to him, holding him piisonei and makme, it impossible for him to fiee hims-elf except by rudeness and violence. In the midst of all this was henid the order to get out the boat-?. And then every one understood that <• 11 hope of extinguishing the flames and *a\ ing the ship was abandoned. At the same instant a voice washeardfiom auexcitedFrenchman,whoieckk>slypu-»lifd himself through theciov. d, wildly evcLuming: " IV/i' n> ii Jfarfnnoi^c/lc Fc.rtjardiL } 0, vJ« / v / s' Ma de moi^ die f> ' " Hhe is heie, Monsieur! For Heaven V sake take caie of hei, inle Igo and seek my wife," eiied G'eiald Fit/geiald, as he recognised, in the anxious searcher, the Baron de La Vallette, the husband of Geraldine's friend and hostess, "Thank God!" exclaimed the Fienchman. "Oh, Gerald, escape is hopple^! May v. c not afc least die together?" hoaiscly wlnVpered Gerald iuc, clinging closer than before. "I must save (.'cituide ! She may. be even now suffocating in the cabin. Look to the lady, Monsieur, si I rout plait" ciicd Colonel Fit/gerald, forcibly unv/indiug Gevaklino's clinging aims and throwing her upon the baron's j)roteetion. " Be tranquil, dear (/era/dine, Mon^iar (c Capiiainc assures us that every one shall be saved," spoke the voice of Madame Oc La 1 Vallefcte, who now . c tood beside hoi hu.^band. Meanwhile Gerald FiU^eiald plunged through the crowd toward the stairs leading down into the ladies' cabin. He saw, and thanked Heaven for the sight, that the cabin wa.s eomp.u-athuly free from smoke. He plunged with headlong haste down the .stairs and looked around for his wife. The cabin wag deScVtcu vy CY6l'; y One Q^cept Gertrude and her faithful maid; Gertrude sat upon a sofa, and Meta grovelled upon the floor with her iace, hidden for fear, in her mistress's lap. "In the name of Heaven why do you linger here ? Why have "yon nob followed t'ue other ladies up on deck '?" hurriedly demanded Colonel Fitzgerald, as he took his wife by the arm to carry her away. " I waited hero for you, Gerald. I knew you would come here for me. If I had gone up on deck, I might have missed you in the crowd." i 'Come, now/ he exclaimed, keeping hold of her arm and hurrying her up the atairs. "Follow us ; keep very close to us ; do not lose sight of us, Meta," exclaimed Ger- j trude. j "Yes, ma'am. Oh, Lordy ! oh, Lordy ! ! I aint afeard o' dyin' ; but I'm afeard o1o 1 bein' burnt ! I never could 'bido tiro !" ; " Don't be frightened, Mela ; we may be saved ; but even if we cannot, we need not therefore suffer by fire. There is water all j around us ; and death by w ater is not hard," said Gertrude. ~Jt The flames had broken through the main and after hatchways, and caught the masts and rigging of the ship, streaming up into the midnight sky, and lighting up the dark eea for many miles around. The wind still dead ahead and blowing a gale wafted the flames astern, leaving the forward deck, crowded with passengers, still compaiatively free from heat and smoke. - An awful silence 'had "fallen upon the crowd. There was no move screaming, crying, groaning, weeping, or praying aloud.' All seemed waiting their doom in dumb despair. Only the voice of the captain was hoard ab intervals in low, stern tones, giving the orders to the men who were engaged in getting out the boats. "Suddenly another sound broke the stillness — a er> from fchc man on the lookout : i "A sail! Asaii, !" , _ x . " Where away ?" " On her lee-bow '.'' " Thank Heaven ! Oh, thank Heaven," was the response that wont up in feivent exclamations from a hundred voices." "Head the ship for the sail P was the next ordpr. But the engine had become disabled, and the .ship could not obey her rudder. "She sees us ! rueisbkarinudown upon us !" cried the man on the lookout. This news was greeted by three cheers from the men on deck. Suddenly a volume of thick smoke, accompanied by a suffocating odour of burning tar, and followed by llames, burst through the forward hatchway, in the very midst of the passengers assombled-there.

Then cries of anguish rent the air. Mothers clasped their children to their hearts, in wild despair. Wives threw themselves, shrieking, in the arms of their husbands. Brothers and sisters clung together, groaning. The agony of the moment was utterly indescribable. Then the order was hastily and sternly I given : "Put the women and children into the boats. Cut down any man who attempts to follow, until they are saved." Fits^eiald lilted Gertrude's light form in hit* arms and followed the officer, attended closely by Meta and Jubal, both dumb with tenor. Jin carried -his half-fainting young wife through the crowd to the larboard cuddy-port, outside of which hung the boats already well filled with women and children. Ociald placed her in the boat. "Have no fcais for me, love. I am a good .swimmer, and with the help of a hencoop or a plank 1 could keep myself up for hours, certainly until the boats return, or the relief ship an i\cs. Fear nothing, Gertrude. In an hour, or less time, w o shall be together, and all in safety on board the other ship." he vthispeied hastily, as he pub her in the boat. She seized and kissed his hand. Ho stood up to withdraw from the port, when suddenly a volume of flame, bur&ting upfiom the aitcr-deck, threw a vivid, red glare of light on the crowded boat, rc/s ealing all the anxious, upturned faces, and among them that. ofGcraldine-, pale, wild, beautiful, horrible as was. hers of the fable whose gaze was death. Gerald could not look upon it. Ho hastily waved his hand, turned, and huriied from the poi fc. . The scene on deck was now, if possible, more appalling than befoie. The hatchways were all belching huge volumes of smoke and flame. The passengers, in wild consternation, wore flinging oveibociul evciy aiticle that might be made available as a life-pie&ener, and then jumping after them. Fit/gerald espied Jubal crouching in terror. " Come, Jubal ! Now is the time to show yourself a man ! Tlnow over that barrel nnd go aftci it/ said Colonel Fit/gerald, as he '-(■i/ed along, bioad plank, castitinto the sea, and make leady to follow it. "Aii-'ery loves company ; so here goes ! ! ' exclaimed another voice, pitching a hencoop over. " You heie, Rallust ! Poor boy !" cvied Colonel Fitzgerald, as he recognised young Rowley. " \o^, I'm hire, now, bub I'll 1 c (here, in a second ' Hcie«oes ! Hun ah ! "follow yoiu' leadci !"' he gayly exclaimed, as he climbed up on the bulwaiks, tlncw uphU> aims, and leaped into the sea. His- manner encouraged or maddened poor Jubal, it is haul to sa;y whiuh ; for with a cry like tho io.ir of a wild beast he started up, poized his baircl, luuled it overboard, and with a loud huirah, spiang after it. Colonel Fitzgerald paused lor a moment, appealed to He.n en, and then cast himself into the sea. A sin ging, heaving, boiling hell of water?, lundly liphted by ihe flames of the burning ship and peopled with hundreds of wictclicd, halt-drcru ned human being.-, holding on to whati^ ci ai ticla they could catch bo keep them up, and Ktiugglingto the last for dear life, some in patient hope, sou.c in wild dchpaii. some loudly shiieking for help, sonic earnestly calling on the Loid. It was a scene that bafllcs nil deseiiptioir and ]\^se? all imagination. The midnight •sky, the tuibulent sea, strown with stiugghno, shneking wretches, and the burning ship lighting up the whole honible picture, as m ith tlic hi.es of Pandemonium. When (Jeiald Fit/gerald lcaj cd overboard, Avilh the impetus of his weight and hcuy fall he sank deeply below the suifaceof the wateis, but in a moment arose to the air and looked aiound him for his companions Mattel^ had gol mixed a little. Sallusb Rowley had been cairiod off to some diolancr on Jubal's band. uas floating aftor him on his mas-Ur-V pl&o/v'/ The hen-coop loosing on the waves n fefe/ yards off, Ceiald Fit/gt ral'l was a stiong swimmer, but picfened to ea\e hi- strength for an emcigcncy, and to reLOvcv the hen-coop and support himself by it for the present. lie s.tiuck out for il ; but befoio he could reach it, ib was seized by a chov. ning man,' who clung to ib in desperation. Fit/gciald would not dispute this fc-up-porb with a victim so weak. Tie turned and looked around, in hope of seeing some I plank or spar to .*>ei/e liolu upon. There was nothing. lie was still on tho &tai boa id side of the .ship, bub he struck out, and giving tho burning ship a wide beith, he swam around the bows to hcarch for some support on the | larboard side. At that moment a cry of honor arose over all the tumult of the scene. Shrieks upon shrieks pierced the ear, as if at some new and more awful disaster. '■What, in the name of Heaven, has now happened?" cvied Gerald Fitzgerald, striking out swiftly in the direction of the sounds, <( B&mc men tried to climb on board thd boat with the women and children, and swamped her !" cried a voice from the Crimsoned and surging waves. "It is the boat containing the women and. children swamped by a lot of cowards }" shouted another voice, . Gerald Fitzgerald, half maddened wifclb horror and intense anxiety, redoubled all' his efforts, swam around the bows of the ship nnd soon came upon the \oene of the ! new calamity. ; The lurid flames of the burning ship, higher, fiercer now than ever, lighted up the whole with the vividness of a conflagration, flashing upon the agonised faces of a hundred or moro women, as screaming, praying, struggling, strangling, they rose and .sank and buttled with the lurid, suffocating waves. Honor-stiicken at what he saw, Gerald Fitzgerald swam swifty towards the perishing -\ictims, calling loudly on the name of his wife. " Gertrude ! Gei trude ! Gertrude ! Where arc you ? Answer me !" Presently he was answered from a shoru distance : " Here ! lam hero, Gerald !" "Thank Heaven !" he exclaimed, as he turned and beheld his heroic young wife keeping herself up in the water— and supporting a babe that she had rescued. He .struck out swiftly towards her. " Oil, my brave little girl ! My brave little girl ! So you have saved a child !" " I had it on my lap when the boau swamped, Gerald. And its paor, poor mother sank at once, and nevor rose again." These words were hastily, breathlessly exchanged between tho husband and wife as they approached each other. But as Gerald rea< lied her side he perceived that hey strength was nearly spent. "Give me the child," he said, "and then do as I tell you-—" " No, give via the child ! It is mine !" exclaimed a man, swimming up on the other side of the nearly oxhausted girl. " Give me the child. Ifcs poor mother has perished ; but, oh, young lady, may Heaven .

bless you for saving it !" he added, as he relieved her of the babe and swam off with '•'My poor girl, you arc nearly sponl," said Gerald, as he gave her his support. " Yes, the straits of Dover in a gale are a little rougher than the Wilde. 1 could swim well on the Wilde. I ha\o swum across it/ answered Gertrude, in a faint voice. " Now, attend to what I tell you, for your own safety. Do not clasp me so as to em harass my motion. Do you understand, Gertrude V" "Oh, yes, yes, Gerald! I know quite well what you mean. I will be calm and self-pos&essed, dear Gerald ; nothing can discompose me by your bide," said Gertrude, th' ml v. "And look there !'' he cried, exultingly ; " the boats from the other ship are coming to our relief ! Com age, my little love !" '•Oh, I have courage! I fear nothing, r»othing,Gerald, by your side !" she answeicd, promptly and cheerfully. Even at that moment she saw his face change horribly, and felt him shudder thiough all his liamo under the water. She thought something had stricken him und inflicted intolerable pain. "Gerald, Gerald dear! What is the matter?' she earnestly inquired. He did not answer, but ga/ed horrorstricken, spell -bound, upon some object ahead of them. (iertiude's glance followed in fche same direction, and she instantly taw the cause of his sudden disturbance. Geraldme Fitzgerald was floating there, clinging to a plank. At that moment, also, Geialdinc saw Colonel Fitzgerald, lost her hold upon the plank, and throwing up her arms m wild despair, cried : "Oh, Gerald ! (herald ! Save me ! Save me !'' At the s'ime time, the plank that the had let go, whiiled round with great violence, struck Goiciudo, and paited her from the suppoifc of her husband. " Oh, Gerald, my love ! my own love ! Save mo! sa\e me!*' cried Geraldino, frantically. Gertrude did not call out for hel[). She silently, with failing strength, struggled with the overwhelming waves. Fitzgerald paused for an instant in Agony, looking as if suddenly stiickcn with madness. " Oh, Gerald ! Gerald ! my love ! my only love ! save me ! save mo ! lam strangling, drowning, dying, in these ci uel wa\ es ! Save me !" gasped Miss Fitzgerald. Ho impulsively daitcd to Geraldine, seized her, and swam with her to a boat that he saw advancing. Gertrude, silently smuggling, abandoned to her fate, saw her rhal rescued by her husband. She cast one long, sad look xipon him whom she loved moie than lite, then ceased to strive, closed her eyes, and beneath the waves. {To be Continual.)