keep up stout hearts and hope for the best, won’t we?” said Allen.

Etta had sat listening to all her father had said, saying but little until now, but as Carrie, whose head was resting in Etta’s lap, moved restlessly 24and moaned, “Water, give me some water.”

24

It seemed that Etta could stand it no longer and she cried, “Oh, papa, we must get there right away. Can’t something be done to help us on? Carrie can not endure this horrible heat much longer, without shelter, and the water is all gone.”

“All gone?” the words seemed to be fairly shrieked by the horrified group, for they knew that under this burning sky they could none of them exist long without water.

Her father was the first to ask where the supply had gone, that an hour before he had thought sufficient, at the rate they were using it, for at least two days, and now it was all gone. “Who used it,” Captain Gray asked sternly?

“I did,” said Etta, “don’t blame me, papa, I could not help it, I have given it to Carrie. I could not endure it any longer to see her suffering so. I had to give it to her.”

Captain Gray bowed his head in his hands for a moment, then taking Etta’s hand in his, asked in a broken voice, “Do you know what you have done my child? You have doomed us all to a horrible death.”

“Don’t papa, don’t. I could not bear to see her die, calling for water when there was still a little that she might have.”

“But what can we do for her now, the water is all gone, and her fever higher than ever. My God! Must I see my loved ones die, and be powerless to help them. My wife torn from me by the relentless 25waves, and now, my darling daughter dying before my eyes. Would to God I could die; but, to live on bereft of those dearest to me, I shudder at the thought.”

25

The morning of the fourth day broke, hot, oh, so hot. The air was like a breath from a furnace, scorching, and parching the occupants of the boat. Carrie was raving wildly, and calling constantly for water, but not even a drop was to be had. Her agonized father, and sister could do nothing for her, and death came to release her from her horrible sufferings about one o’clock, as near as they could judge, as the watches of both the captain and Allen had stopped during the storm and they had set them by guess.

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