A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A QUEER RACE. | 145 knife, parted with a report like the shot of a pistol, and the Diana was adrift. J ran to the helm without any definite idea of what I should do, for I knew how helpless we were, and I feared we should be dashed against the opposite side of the creek. It was, perhaps, the best thing that could happen to us; 1f we were carried ouc into the bay we should be past praying for. Just then I heard the sound of hurried footsteps. ) ‘“What has happened, Mr. Erle? Where are you?” asked a voice which I recognized as that of Queen Mab. ‘“ At the wheel. Somebody has cut the ropes, and the ship is adrift.” ‘‘Somebody has cut the ropes? What do you mean? How do you know?” ‘““When the lightning flashed just now, I saw a man cutting the stern-rope.”’ “Saw you his face?” NO, 2 ‘* You have no idea who he was, then?” ‘* Not the least.’’ ‘Somebody was thinking evil against us, then, and pletting it. My forebeding has soon come true, yet you did not believe it, Mr. Erle.” ‘« You were right, too, about the weather,” [ answered, evusively. ‘‘ The barometer has gone down rapidly, and we are going to havea night of it. My God?’ Another blinding flash of lightning, followed by an even more terrific peal of thunder than the first. At the same time a violent gust of wind, coming down the chan- nel of the creek as through a funnel, drove the ship be- fore it like a straw, and almost threw her on her beam- ends. , Mabel was now close by me, holding on to the binna- cle. ‘‘ How will it end? I mean, what is likely to be our fate?” she asked, quietly, and with no more fear in her voice than if she were putting an ordinary question. ‘‘ Drowning is likely to be our fate. Even if the ship were manned by a full crew, and commanded by a skill- ful captain, we should be in great danger; and there 1s -Ouly one man on board, and he no seaman.” dee «Tf itis God’s will for us to perish, sobe it. He knows Eomicbooks (ee)