Year: 1866

, ten laughed since,- and brings it down lik
, a stinguisher right on the top of numb e
ones head as to t other,-he was little
: chap, and Pm six foot and pretty strong,-
| gets hold of him by the scruff of the necl
and strap of his trousers, snd afore he knew
| where he was, | had him up in the air, anC
over the hole where the flames were pour
ing up, and so close, too that he could fee
/, given to swearing, but | raped out some
|, thing fierce, that if he did MT work I'd hur
him in.


Lord. You should have heard what
shrek there was as the fellow twisted a.
bout like an eel to get away, and then
put him little nearer when he begged
and prayed to be put down, and he'd work
till he dropped and then up comes the
captain, for he'd bolted off into the cabin,
but now rushed out again with Il revolver
in each hand.


" Well done, my man." he shouts to me-
for he saw what | did and then he gives
me one of the pistols, and swore he'd shoot
the first man as disobeyed, and Pm blessed
if did MT believe he would, if they'd have
tried it on but they did MT, but began
pumping away again like mad again, and
we two went to work pouring in the water,
while Pm sure | heard regular groan
from the captain, though his face was like
a bit O. wood.


This did MT take above five minutes but
| believe it lost us the ship, though we had
seemed to make such little impression
when we turned on the water But five
minutes at such time was ruin the fame
rose higher and higher, and the heat was
awful SO that, do what we would, we were
beat back, and instead of quiet crawling
flame now, there was a regular roar, and
the wind set towards the great fiery
tongues in fierce draught


Stick to it, my man." says the captain,
in low voice It's our only chance"


And l would MT give much for it, sir" /"
| says, in the same tone.


Hush p he says and then to the men,
Pump away, my lads ~


They pumped away hearty enough, and
kept trying on cheer but it soon could
be seen with half an eye that the ship must
go, for the flames darted up, and, almost
before you knew it, the rigging was on fire,
and the tongues like leapng from rope to
rope, till the tarry things blazed furiously,
right up to the mainmast head, and little
fiery drops of burning tar kept falling on
to the deck, or kissing into the sea while
for far enough off, out into the dark night,
the great faky sparks went flying along
for all the world like beautiful golden
snow-storm.


There" says the captain, throwing down
the copper branch with which he had play
ed on the fire, and shaking his fist right in
the flames, SO that they must have burnt it,
-" there" he says, savagely, "Pve fought
it out with you, and you've beat Now
for life saving p


And then, quietly and coolly, he had one
boat lowered down, with the first mate in
and crew of sailors, and the shrieking
women and children lowered in, while the
quiet ones he kept back. Then there was
a water-cask and lot of biscuit-bags
thrown in, and that boat, well loaded, push
ed off ON the calm sea- and lay to watching
us Then the second mate was ordered in
to the second boat, with crew of sailors
water and bags of biscuit were thrust in
and then, we'll loaded with women and
children, and one or two of the men pass
engers, that was carefully lowered down,
unlocked, and pushed off.


The other two boats were not swung ov
er the sides, but lay between the masts of
the ship, right in the middle of the deck,
and were full of stores and odd things put
there to be out Of the way but the cap
tain and men left soon had tackling fasten-
ed to the boat that was right in front of the
fire. and it was hauled up, swung clear,
and lowered down, with a couple of men
in, and they rowed it back to the hinder
part of the ship while we who had been
launching it had to make a regular dash
through the flames, which now extended
nearly across the deck. One man, howev-
er, did not dare come through, but plunged
overheard and swan after the boat till he
was took in.


" Now, then" said the captain and the
rest of the women were slung down.


did not mean to go as long as | could
help the captain and then half dozen OF
the men passengers were lowered down,
and they were just going to shove off, when
| shouts OUT


"Stop !" and the captain turns round an
grily to me and | says, "No water !"


Sure enough they had none, and a little
cask that stood on the deck was slung
again, when | heard a shrek as went
| through anu dLlI d VI
glare The man at the rudder leaned over
while at the same moment there was a rOal
and a rush of fearful light, and the great
mainmast blazing from top to bottom, anc
covered with burning rope and canvas, top
pied over towards where the boat lay, for
the fire had been eating into it below deck
for long enough. 1t was all in moment
and like the flashing of some great shee
, of lightning, as in the midst of wild anc
fearful cry it fell right towards the boat
That was fearful moment, that was, anC
t we held our breath with terror and /
could not help it, covered my face will
my hands and dared not, till heard louC
cheer and saw the boat safely floating with
in very few yards Of the half-extinct mast
which had narrowly missed falling upon thu
) little haven of safety.


And now they were going to get the las
boat out, and the three others lay off at
little distance, while above the hoarse ord
ers of the captain there was the cracking
f and roar of the flames, now leaping up a
| fearful rate. And yet it was splendi'
sight, in spite of the horror for every nov
. and then pieces of the copper wire rop
f used in the rigging regularly caught fire
| i l,,noJ 18th n most bao ouf1fnl hlua Ii orh