Page:The Great Secret.djvu/236

220 him with the sun rising from the east, he made another discovery which made his heart for a moment stand still. Two putrid and bulging corpses lay near the aft mast-stump, the captain and the first mate, and between them the form of the baroness.

It took a full minute before Dennis could summon up courage enough to approach these evil-smelling corpses and lift the baroness up from between them; but at last he did so with bated breath and closed eyes, rejoiced to find her still warm.

Laying her down beside the captain, he rushed aft to the pantry and returned with a brandy bottle which, after opening and swigging a good mouthful himself, he poured into their parted lips.

The woman returned to consciousness first, and as she sat up and looked about her dazed, Dennis attended to the doctor, who soon came to his senses.

"We must leave this ship at once or we shall be sucked down with her, for she is rapidly settling. Rouse up, doctor. Rouse up, Delphine, and bear a hand."

Dennis spoke roughly, and it had the proper effect, for both quickly rose to their feet.

"What are we to do?"

"We must first get some provisions and load the gig, and then get off as soon as we can. Let us see what we can secure in the cabin."

He hurried them past those accusing corpses and into the pantry and cabin where, walking with their feet in water, they secured what they could carry and made for the gig.

Not a moment too quickly, as Dennis knew from the ominous steadiness of the decks she was preparing for her final plunge.

To get into the gig and lower her, then cut her