A terrible crash interrupted the old lady's remarks. The House-boat
shivered and shook, careened way to one side, and as quickly righted and
stood still. A mad rush up the gangway followed, and in a moment a hundred
and eighty-three pale-faced, trembling women stood upon the deck, gazing
with horror at a great helpless hulk ten feet to the rear, fastened by
broken ropes and odd pieces of rigging to the stern-posts of the
House-boat, sinking slowly but surely into the sea.

[Illustration: "A GREAT HELPLESS HULK TEN FEET TO THE REAR"]

It was the _Gehenna_!

The House-boat had run her down and her last hour had come, but, thanks to
the stanchness of her build and wonderful beam, the floating club-house
had withstood the shock of the impact and now rode the waters as
gracefully as ever.

Portia was the first to realize the extent of the catastrophe, and in a
short while chairs and life-preservers and tables--everything that could
float--had been tossed into the sea to the struggling immortals therein.
On board the _Gehenna_, those who had not cast themselves into the waters,
under the cool direction of Holmes and Bonaparte, calmly lowered the
boats, and in a short while were not only able to felicitate themselves
upon their safety, but had likewise the good fortune to rescue their more
impetuous brethren who had preferred to swim for it. Ultimately, all were
brought aboard the House-boat in safety, and the men in Hades were once
more reunited to their wives, daughters, sisters, and _fiancées_, and
Elizabeth had the satisfaction of once more saving the life of Raleigh by
throwing him her ruff as she had done a year or so previously, when she
and her brother had been upset in the swift current of the river Styx.