Naturally Maseden wondered what had happened and watched closely for developments. In better weather he would have gone outside, but it was positively dangerous now to stand close to the ship's rail, or, indeed, remain on any part of the open deck, while the shadow of an attempt on his part to climb the forecastle ladder would have evoked a gruff order to return.
Within a minute or less, however, he made out that the _Southern Cross_ was passing through a quantity of wreckage, mostly rough-hewn timber. Here and there a spar would unexpectedly thrust its tapering point high above the tawny vortex of the waves; at odd times a portion of a bulkhead and fragments of white-painted panels would be revealed for an instant. Some unfortunate sailing ship had been torn to shreds by the gale, and the steamer was just passing through that section of the sea-plain still cumbered by her fragments, though the tragedy itself had probably occurred many a mile away from that particular point on the map.
By this time the stopping of the engines had aroused every member of the crew not on watch. Some of the men, bleary-eyed with sleep, gathered in the cabin, and their comments were illuminating.
"Wind-jammer gone with all hands," said one man, after a critical glance at the flotsam on both sides of the ship.
"What for have we slowed up?" inquired another. "The old man ain't thinkin' of lowerin' a boat, is he?"
"Lower a boat, saphead, in a sea like this!" scoffed the first speaker.
"Wouldn't he try to rescue any poor sailor-men who may be clingin' to the wreck?" came the retort.
"As though any sort of blisterin' wreck could live in this weather! Try again, Jimmy. We're dodgin' planks an' ropes; that's our special stunt just now. One o' them hefty chunks o' lumber would knock a hole in us below the water-line before you could say 'knife'. An' how about a sail an' cordage wrappin' themselves lovin'ly around the screw? Where 'ud _we_ be then?... There you are. What did I tell you?"
A heavy thud, altogether different from the blow delivered by a wave, shook the _Southern Cross_ from stem to stern. The captain looked over the port side, and followed the movement of some unseen object until it was swept well clear of the ship. The engines, which had been stopped completely, were rung on to "Slow ahead" again. They remained at that speed for half a minute, not longer. Then they were stopped once more, and the officer of the watch quitted the bridge hurriedly.