Year: 1866

us and death and somehow or other tht
serious thoughts that came kept me wide
awake.


1t was two bells, thi * they call it, fo
they don't count time as we do ashore
when all at once | could hear as there was
a great hustle up on deck where all thr ougl
the watches Of the night everything's most
ly very quiet. Then there came a good
deal Of tramping about and running to and
fro so | gets out Of my berth, slips ON one
or two things. and goes cautiously up the
ladder and gets my head above the hatch
way, and then in a moment | saw what
was up, and it gave me such shock thai
| nearly let go my hold and fell back into
the steerage There was thick cloud o
smoke issuing out from between the hatch
es, right in the centre of the ship and al
most before | could thoroughly realize il
all, or make myself believe as it was true,
a woman ran shrieking along the deck in
her night-dress, end calling out those fear
ful words ON board ship


" Fire fire fire !"


Hundreds of miles from land, standing
on a few nailed-together pieces of wood
and them burning beneath your feet.


l could MT help it: all my bitter feelings
of being i'll used came back, and says to
myself


Your usual luck, mate would MT be
you if yoa were MT unfortunate. But nev-
er mind you have your choice, fire or wa
ter" And then | thought of the danger,
and ketches myself such thump in the
chest, and rolls up my sleeves, and goes
up to the captain as was busy giving his
orders


"What shall | do 2" | says


Pump !" he shouts and fetch a doz-
en- more up"


Lord bless you | had 'em up in no time
from amongst the crying women and |
found time, too, to get the women and chill
dren up on deck in the poop, which was
farthest from the matches, where the smoke
kept pouring out, besides which the wind
took it away from them.


There was plenty ofshrieking and scream
ing at first but they had got the right
man in the right place when they chose
that captain, for he runs to the poop, where
all the shivering things was a-standing,
and with few words he quiets them. Then
| he runs to the men as was scuffling about,
here, there, and everywhere and gets them
all together and then at last he gets a line
of fellows with buckets, "a lot more at the
pumps, and some more at the little engine
as was there and then when all was ready
and every man standing still at his post, he
goes with some more to the matches and
drags up a couple, when up rose a regular
pillar of fire and smoke, with a snaky,
quiet movement, and in moment every
face was lit up and there was quite a glare
spreading far out to sea. Sails, cordage,
masts, everything seemed turned into gold.
For moment | could MT help forgetting
the danger, and thinking what beautiful
sight it was when directly after there was
a regular ringing cheer, the engine and
pumps went clang-clang," and the water
was teemed into the burning hold from
bucket and engine-nozzle.


How the water hissed and sputtered
while volumes Of smoke and steam rushed
up where it had been all flame but mo-
ment before, and as we saw this we cheer
ed but we'd nothing to cheer for it was
only the fire gathering strength and then,
as though laughing at the water we pour
ed, it came dashing, and crawling, and
running up, licking the edges of the hatch
way, and setting on fire the tarpaulins at
the sides, and then it began to shoot and
| ledp up dS ii W CdlCll dI Ihc 0oludSe anu
sails


Pour it in, my lads" shouted the cap,
tain "Don't be afraid we sha'n't run
short of water, like they do at your London
| fires"


"No," says chap on my side " and
there amt no running away into the next
street"


Then | saw the captain run to the man
at the wheel, and he changed the course of
the ship, so that all the smoke and flame
went over the side and then at it we went,
sending in the water at a tremendous rate,
but to all appearance it did no good not
bit.


"Now, my lads" says the captain, with
a will ~; and then we cheered again and
that noble fellow stood with the engine
nozzle in his hand, leaning right over the
fiery hole, where the flames darted out
scorching him, and there he stood battling
with them, and aiming the water where he
thought best.


You see | stood close aside him, so that
| could see all that he did "a brave fel
low,--and it was hot, too. You know
was taking the buckets as they were pass
ed to me, and sending the water in with a
|
and the captain nodded at me every now
and then, and, well done !" he says, when
it wa, him as ought to have had the praise
1t was like looking down into the mouth
of a furnace and, as far as | could see
we might Just as well have been playing
with "a couple of boys squirts but knew
enough of duty to feel what | ought to do
and though I'd have liked to have been aside
the wife to comfort her, my duty was tt
stand there a pouring in that there water
till | could MT do it no longer !; and the
more it did Mt seem no good, the more
warmed up,-obstinate like,-and mean
to try, for did MT see any fun in being
beaten off by a few flames and sparks
, while the look as got now and then from
the captain went right through me, and II
went the water.


All at once lot of the sailors stop
; pumping, and one shouts out
"'T amt no good, mates. Boats out y
But he had MT hardly said it, before
saw the captain dart back ; and then there
: was a bright light as the copper branch
the hose-pipe flashed through the air, AM
then down came the sailor on the deck.
: Back to your work, men" sang out tn
e captain and let a man go to the boats
l. i. Al Al, lo, .;,o5