Year: 1870

very much like this one; the engines were
side-levers like these and the stoke-hole


with its tre-doors, was adjoining the engine
room, without any separation between The
cylinders were forward, about four feet from
the bul1-head, and the boilers and stoke-hole
were aft. There was q platform, just like
this at the level of the tops of the cylinders,
on each side of the engne-room, and across
the forward part of it, close to the bulkhead i;
with ladders at the atterends OF the two
side platforms leading down the stoke-hole
and another at the middle Of the part that


went across, by which you descended to a
narrow passage between the engines, where
the starting handles, ETC., We're placed at
the same part Of the platform was ladder
which communicated with the deck. You
will see from this that there was, at the for


ward end of the engine room, having the cyl
inders and ends of the engines on one side Of
it, the bulkhead on the other, and the cross
platform for a roof, a space about four feet
wide, and in length the whole width OF the
ship. The port side of this space was filled
with tallow casks, oil cans, etc., for which
| there was not room in the store closet; but
on the starboard side there was nice snug
little spot, kept tolerably cool, though so near
the cylinders, by the draught of air from the
deck, and, through some holes in the bulk
head, from the fore hold. This snuggery
was approached by narrow passage on the
starboard side of the ship-for the ladders
and the deck-pump prevented your getting in
from between the engines, and the donkey
engine was in the way on the port side; and
you had to make q rush to get III, where you
did, without q ducking from the starboard
waste water-ppe through the ships side
which was leaky, so there was generally u
for nf fall R,t ~,
with a bag of cotton wipings for bed, and
my jacket rolled up for a pillow, I could gen.
orally calculate on a comfortable snooze,
without disturbance from the wheels or any
thing else. | am obliged to be so particular
in my description, or you wilnever understand
what have to relate. In this favorite spot
of mine, then, you will understand that lay
down, and in q few minutes was fast asleep.


81 had not slept long, when l awoke with
a start, and with an uneasy consciousness that
there was something unusual in the working
of the engines / leant on my elbow and
listened. They were going much more slow
ly than usual, and there was q peculiar jerking
style about their motion which seemed as if
they were working expansively with high
steam; and the well-known rushing sound
in the pipes, like the wind through a door
way, when the door is a jar, showed me in Il
moment that they We're closely ''throttlcd''-
that is, that the valves in the pipes leading
to the cylinders We're partially closed, 50 as
to check the flow OF steam from the boilers to
the engines | saw too, that there was q
very bright glow from the furnaces, and that
the fires We're more than usually intense
| tancied, also, from the absence of the usual
currents of air except through the windsail
and the forehold, and the appearance of the
lights and shadows, that the matches over the
crank gratings, and the companion leading to
the deck were closed--a thing that was very
unusual except in bad weather.


81 was about to creep out of my lair, to
see what was the meaning of all this, when |
heard persons in conversation in the passage
between the engines, and almost close to
where | was. BY q slight movement | was
able to see them. One was our chief engineer
who had never before been known to be in
the engine-room at this hour of the night; he
had his hands on the injection handles, and
was regulating the supply Of water to the
diminished quantity of steam passing through
the engines. The other, with his back turn
ed towards me, was q person whom did not
know at all. He appeared u slight, grace
lully-formed young man, of middle height
dressed in sailors clothes of a fine texture.
and with the voice of 4 youth, rather than
that Of a man. l should have gone out at
once to sec swhat was doing but the first
words | distinguished arrested my attention
in moment. 1t was the youth who said


SIS How long before we shall leave the
ship?'


'''Not long now,' replied the chief; 'but
we have nothing more to do, except to start
when it is time


Are you sure that the third engineer is
all right q


{ IL ala Al
houses, and have turned the key upon HIM
Dick is at the wheel; the rest Of the watch
on deck and these smutty fellows are dispos-
ed of, We have lowered the boat al safe,
and all is ready for start


'''Then why not 90 now p


"'No, we might still be discovered in time
to spoil Let Us wait till the last moment,
and we shall be sure that we have got rid of
the internal ship and all that could ever give
US trouble. But. by CD he said, there
isn't much time to spare, either. The steam
mounts quicker than thought, it is at twenty
five already, and the water is all out of the
gauges. Just step on deck, and tell Dick we
shall be off at once


The youth turned and ascended quickly
to the deck; and the chief went to the stoke
hole, opened the fllrnace-1oors, looked at the
fires, and threw in some Goals and tallow.


II SnOulu make a Dtu mana 1T describing
my feelings, ald all that sort of thing; but l
think you may imagine that the unaccount-
able appearance of a stranger in the ship
the intelligence that the watch both on deck
and in the engneroom were disposed of
the knowledge that the steam was at twenty
five pounds to the inch, our usual working
pressure being fifteen, and rapidly raising,
with the safety-valves, of course, fastened
down or very heavily loaded-the engines
throttled of half of their steam, the feed in
the boilers very low, and the furnaces fed
with oil and tallow, it was altogether enough
to make one feel queer. The boilers were
new and strong but, for that very reason,
when they did give away, the destruction
would be greater; and | expected soon a
terrific explosion which might probably send
the ship to the bottom. | understood at once
indeed there was no room for doubt after
what had seen and heard-that the villains
had by some means got hold of the gold on
board; that they had either drugged or over
powered the watch, and that it was their in
tention to blow up the ship, and escape in the
confusion; or to get away a little beforehand,
and trust to the explosion, which must in
evitably follow, to remove all proof Of their
crime and all dread of capture l saw what
it was; but | confess to you, sir, at the risk
of being thought a coward, that l stood at
first unable to think or act to any useful pur-
pose. Had [ been prompt aud decided, now