At some point they could no longer deny that they were hearing screams. "Socorro! Socorro!" The Spanish word for help had a sorrowful rather than an urgent sound. There was sentiment for going in closer, but "We wait for the magazine" was all van Hoek would say. Jack saw a red-hot cannon finally break through the charcoal beams that were supporting it. It dropped clumsily into the bilge and ejaculated a vast cloud of steam that blurred and dimmed the fire-light. One man with a very loud voice was crying "Socorro! Socorro!" But then he changed over into some Latin prayer.