S.O.S. Titanic by Eve Bunting

Author:Eve Bunting [Bunting, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Cars; Trains & Things That Go, Boats & Ships, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Friendship; Social Skills & School Life, Boys & Men, Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction, Teen & Young Adult, Survival Stories, Children's eBooks, Historical
Amazon: B004H1UEFY
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Published: 1996-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

Nobody with a thought that they might be in peril. Except Watley, of course. And Watley might have meant that only Barry was in danger. From the Flynns. He had looked half crazy anyway, holding up that caul. Who would believe Watley any more than they'd believe the turbaned fortune-teller at the fair? Nobody but superstitious Barry, and maybe superstitious Howard. But still, he wished Pegeen had her life jacket.

Barry's skin was clammy under his shirt. He eased a finger around the collar, felt the chain that held the whistle move slightiy, cool and smooth against his stillness. He looked at the shining Sunday faces. There were Colonel Sapp and Mrs. Adair and little Jocelyn, Howard and Mrs. Cherry Hat. She saw him looking and gave him a cheeky wink. Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein and Arthur weren't here. They were probably Jewish and would have been at Jewish services yesterday. He saw the Ryersons and Henry Sleeper Harper up in the front row. All these people. If anything happened...

Captain Smith, very dignified in his uniform, finished his reading from the Book of Psalms.

Barry shivered. Suppose I leapt up and ran to the front and shouted, "Everybody listen. The ship is going to sink. Make the captain turn back"? But they were as far from one shore as the other. The passengers would think he was dotty. Scollins would die of acute mortification. And so would he.

The service was over now and Captain Smith was leaving. In a minute he'd be gone.

Barry pushed quickly past the people between himself and the space that had been left in the middle of the rows of chairs.

"Excuse me. Excuse me."

Behind him Scollins whispered loudly, "What are you doing? Just where do you think you're—"

Barry planted himself in front of the captain so the man couldn't get past. "Captain Smith."

"Yes?" Hands clasped behind him, a kindly smile on his bearded face, the captain leaned toward Barry.

"I ... I need to ask you something. Are we in any danger from icebergs?"

The eyebrows beetled. The smile faded a little. Captain Smith rocked back and forth on his feet, the way a man would who was accustomed to standing on a heaving bridge in a stormy sea. "Are you frightened, my boy?" he asked, peering more closely. "Oh, yes, you and I have met before. Did our ship's doctor take good care of your wound?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you. It's fine."

Mr. Scollins was beside Barry now, taking his elbow, frowning apologetically at the captain. "Captain Smith."

The captain stopped Scollins with a wave of his hand. "Are you traveling alone, son?" he asked Barry.

Barry nodded toward Scollins. "Except for Mr. Scollins. I mean, no one in my family is with me."

"I'm so—" Scollins began.

The captain stopped him again in mid-sentence. "Mr. Collins."

"Scollins. It's an Anglo-Saxon name. I believe there was a Scollins who fought with King Henry at Agincourt. My mother always—"

"Quite so." Captain Smith stroked his beard and rocked closer to Barry. "Tell you what, old chap. How would

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