wrists. Then something seemed rushing up his arms. The something enclosed his body with the speed of a striking snake.

The next thing he knew, water had smothered his nose, his mouth, and he was inside, looking out.

He was staring into the smothered face of the damned kid.

Shortly after that he drowned. He couldn't get out. Another drop fell, another, and another, another, another, adding themselves to the original mass....

On the high seas, the S.S. Wilcox battered through rising, flooding seas.

The captain stood on the bridge, yelling orders to his men below.

The first mate flung water from his face, gritted, "We'll never make port."

A sailor came up the companionway, steadying himself on the handrail.

"There's water pouring through a hole in a forward section," he gasped hoarsely. "We can't caulk it. She's sinking at the stem."

"Mr. Jones," said the captain, "sound the signal to abandon ship."

The first officer said to himself, "In these seas?" But he obeyed and went down to the cargo hold where the alarm apparatus was stationed. Above the roar of the elements sounded seven short hoarse blasts, and a long one. The "all hands on deck" signal vibrated through the ship.

The captain watched while sailors donned lifebelts, jumped to boat stations. Boats were swung out, and eased down by the rail. Passengers, herded by calm officers, came on to the deck. The ship gave another sickening roll. A lifeboat was dashed to matchsticks.

"It's no use," the quartermaster said hoarsely. He gripped the rail, staring out over the raging sea, where mountainous waves were sending the S.S. Wilcox to her doom.

The captain said slowly, "I wish I were what Cadmus wished he was. I wish I could command the waves of the sea to vanish."

... An astounding thing happened.

As if a gigantic beer skimmer had been run over the surface of the sea in all directions, the tops of the waves seemed abruptly to round. The troughs filled, the crests dropped. The roar of water against the flanks of the ship ceased. The waves ceased, though the wind still roared, and whined.

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