The Van Buren press., 1904-10-29
I've 90, ,ust one match" he


US"
/ II was an anxious moment when Bur-
ton scratched the match; but it did not
20 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 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
good deal. and they feared that II they
| BROKE the stowage" they would bring
| down casks and boxes, trunks and tackle
on their heads
Sometimes Burton or Roberts would
| have a spell of frantic humping at the
| hatChway. But the sounds came back
mufled as if the hatch were buried deep,
and II they were heard in the wheel
| house nobody seemed to heed.
It was on the fourth night or day, they
hardly knew which. when the weather
| had moderated a little, that Burton
thought he heard a muttering in the di-
rection of the stewards pantry, and saw
a 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 carr" questioned the
: steward. a Demerara negro
MIR. Burton and Fred" replied the
sailor. in a tone that must have sounded
sepulchral.
! 'Wow-oo." moaned the steward. rs
| done been called by a dead mani" Then
came the sound of a fall and the jingle of
| glass.
Hes flew" the sailor reported to
| Burton, in disgust. Took me for a
ghost, | reckon"
Say" he added, a moment later, Il
smell smoke! Say that fool dropped
his lantern! He's set the ship afre!"
TEE horror Of the situation was In
stantly apparent Not so the means Of
escape.
Fred we must try to reach the fire
and put It out" Burton cried
mo use sir | cant 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 Tit happens so"
But now they heard on deck the roar
| Of voices and tramping Of feet that told
that the alarm had been given.
Commands Of officers and answers OF
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 heat
/ In the lazaret was rapidly becoming
sitting and the smoke seemed to search
the farthest corners Of their aching
/ lungs.
They breathed with difficulty through
folds Of their shirt-sleeyes, which they
had torn of and wet with mineral
water
Roberts was first to succumb. As he
sank nsensible, there were sounds at the
hatchway that foreshadowed the lifting
Of the hatch, and Burton dragged his
companion near It,
Suddenly the hatch was removed, An
| avalanche Of hose came through II Tho
boatswain set his foot on the first step
Of the ladder.
Take Roberts on deck first" Burton
cried
But with a single glance below, the
boatswan yelled and fed!
Burton seized the nozzle Of the hose
His laborIng lungs and smartIng eyes
forgotten he dragged II forward and d.
rected a stream toward the flames
The water came just in time to ward
them from an oil-barrel Another
stream, poured through the sliding door
Of the stewards pantry, helped to win
the fight Soon It was over.
Burton threw down the hose and tried
TO crawl back to the hatchway
But now It was his turn to give out
and Roberts, whom the fresh air had
restored to consciousness, pushed and
pulled, coayed and lifted him toward the
deck, There the captain met them.
THE dead come to lfol" he cried.
amazed
Tend to Mr. Burton first" gasped
the faithful sailor,
Lay aft four OF you'" the captain
called Garry these men into the
cabin"
I'VE thought you two went overheard
when the tornado struck u.s." the cap.
tain added "The men have declared
ever since that the ship was haunted
and soon | should have had to take A
ropes end to get one Of them TO 90 aft
I'm glad the ghosts are laId!"
But they were not completely laid. so
far as the negro steward was concerned
For the rest Of the voyage Burton and
the sailor were treated like invaIds. and
whenever the doctor had occasion 10
serve them he would edge on and hand
things at arms length, as II he were not
yet sure That they were not spooks from
sprIt'land, Youths Companion,
two slowly turning cylinders and