A ship's officer and some stewards also came
running in. The stewards had life-preservers, which they were buckling
on to themselves. They remained; but the officer, after a look around,
ran out again.
The boat rolled back on her keel. Jan led Mrs. Goles to the outer deck.
Goles was there. "Come!" ordered Jan, and led the way to an iron ladder.
The boat rolled far to one side and again far to the other. Mrs. Goles
felt as if she were clinging to the tail of a kite, but still she clung
to Jan; and Jan at last made the upper deck with her. He had forgotten
her husband; but when he turned to look back the muffled form was there
at his heels.
Jan groped his way to where the life-raft was lashed to the deck. He
ordered Mrs. Goles to sit down on the raft. Goles sat down beside her.
Goles seemed bereft of all volition.
"You wait here till I come back," Jan said to him and turning to go
below, bumped into another man.
"Hello! Is this you?" said the other man. "I thought I saw you come up
here. 'And there's the man,' I says to myself, 'to tie to to-night!'"
Jan recognized the bartender. "You're just the man I want, too," said
Jan. He dove into his pocket and drew out a revolver. "Here, take this."
"A gun!"
"Yes--and loaded. Watch that man on the raft. And if he tries to hurt
that woman or not let her on that raft if the boat goes down, shoot
him!"
"You mean it?"
"Yes.
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