Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-11-25

comb"
Better eat 1t, sir" the sailor advised.
I'm goin' to try to find a bread-cask.
We could easy spot it, know where
there's lanterns and oil-if you'll take
the risk Of light"
Lanterns down here?" Burton re-
peated.
Yes, sir. hung 'em myself They're
covered lanterns we used for the anchor
watch"
Burton felt for his matchbox and
opened it. 1--WE got Just one match" he
said.
That's enough, II It don't go back on
u.s."
1t was an anxious moment when Bur-
ton scratched the match; but 1t did not
go back on them Not food but drink
was what they first sought by the Ian
terms light, and after two hours of hunt
ing and hard labor they found biscuit
box and a case Of mineral water-the
two almost side by side
We're all right, now, sir" said the
sailor, joyously. 1--WE can stand it till
they have to come down after some
thin"
Yet the hours that followed were very
tedious, and when they had heightened
out to two days or more, officer and man
grew heartily sick of confinement The
space at their command was so restricted
that they could barely stretch out, lying
or standing; but they dared not try to
enlarge it. for the ship was rolling a
| fao o.
broke the stowage" they would bring
down casks and boxes, trunks and tackle
on their heads.
Sometimes Burton or Roberts would
have spell of frantic humping at the
hatchway. But the sounds came back
muffled, as if the hatch were buried Deep
and II they were heard in the wheel
house nobody seemed to heed.
1t was on the fourth night or day, they
hardly knew which, when the weather
had moderated little, that Burton
thought he heard muttering in the d.
rection Of the stewards pantry and saw
light over the tops Of the casks.
Hello, there, doctor!" he called.
Then the sailor Joined in. Hi, doc!
Alloy. there!" He tried to creep toward
the light between the decking and the
tops of the casks.
''Wha' dat? Who dar" questioned the
steward a Demerara negro.
"Mr. Burton and Fred" replied the
sailor in tone that must have sounded
sepulchral.
"Wow-oo!" moaned the steward. Ts
done been called by dead mani" Then
came the sound of fall and the jingle OF
glass.
Hes flew" the sailor reported to
Burton, in disgust. TOOK me for q
ghost, reckon"
Say" he added. a moment later, 81
smell smoke! Say, that fool dropped
his lantern! He's set the ship afire!"
The horror of the situation was In
stantly apparent Not so the means Of
escape.
Fired, we must try to reach the fire
and put It out!" Burton cried.
"No use, sir. can't crawl any near.
er, and you're fatter than am. Besides
we haven't anything to put it out with
We'd be roasted"
But we'll be suffocated anyway"
Have to stand it, sir, If it happens so.
But now they heard on deck the roal
Of voices and trampling of feet that tolt
that the alarm had been given.
Commands of officers and answers o.
seamen showed by the tone that they
knew they must battle for life.
No flames had reached the SECOND
mate and the sailor as yet, but the hea
in the lazaret was rapidly becoming
sitting and the smoke seemed to search
the farthest corners Of their achin,
lungs.
They breathed with difficulty through
folds of their shirt-sleeves, which the,
had torn of and wet with minera
water.
Roberts was first to succumb. AS h
sank insensible, there were sounds at tn
hatchway that foreshadowed the liftinj
, Of the hatch, and Burton dragged hi
companion near it.
Suddenly the hatch was removed Al
J avalanche of hose came through it. TIL
boatswain set his foot on the first STE
of the ladder.
Take Roberts on deck flrst!" Burton
2 cried.
But with a single glance below, tn
t boatswain yelled and fed!
: Burton seized the nozzle Of the hose
= His laboring lungs and smarting eye
. forgotten, he dragged it forward and di
3 rected a stream toward the flames.
, The water came just in time to war
r them from an oil-barrel. Anothe
3 stream, poured through the sliding doc
l of the stewards pantry, helped to wi
the fight. Soon 1t was over.
, Burton threw down the hose and trie
8 to crawl back to the hatchway.
But now 1t was his turn to give ou
and Roberts, whom the fresh air ha
4 restored to consciousness, pushed an
pulled, coaxed and lifted him toward tn
v deck. There the captain met them.
h. 1AaI - 81 -.