manity to leave the ruffians to carry out their
intent, and shorten the sufferings of their black victims by the easier
death of drowning.

I had such a reflection at the moment, but I had no time to dwell upon
it, for just then a rush of men towards the slave-hatchway told me that
the monsters were actually on the way to carry out their diabolical
purpose!

They were on their way, and would have proceeded in their intent. The
carpenter was there with his axe to strike off one of the bars of the
grating--he had already given a blow on the batten, another would have
been enough--and then the horrid scene would have begun; but at that
moment a cry came from the after-part of the vessel that caused the
carpenter to suspend his work, and look up in dismay. Those who
surrounded him were startled as well as he, and all looked aft with
terror painted in their faces. One and all were terrified by that cry,
and no wonder they were--it was the cry, of "fire!" The ship was on
fire!

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

At this cry all hands rushed toward the after-part of the vessel. I ran
with the rest.

On reaching the quarter-deck we found the black cook, "Snowball," in the
hands of the captain and mate, who were beating him with thick ropes,
and causing him to "sing out" at the top of his voice. Both were
excited and angry--swearing loudly as they struck the blows--and already
the man's back exhibited the keenness of their vengeance.

Some of the sailors--still apprehensive about the cry of fire which they
had heard--demanded an explanation, which was immediately given.
"Snowball" had gone down to the store-room under the main cabin--for the
purpose of drawing brandy from a large cask of this spirit that was kept
there. The only access to the store-room was through a small hatch in
the floor of the cabin itself; and, as it was bulk-headed off from the
rest of the hold, of course the place was quite dark. For this reason
the cook had carried with him, as he always did on such occasions, a
lighted candle.

It was not clearly explained how he had mismanaged--for the black as
well as most of the crew of the _Pandora_ were, ever since the discovery
about the water, in a state of half-intoxication. Even at that moment
it was evident that both mate and captain were nearly drunk, and gave
but half-coherent replies to the eager inquiries of the men--who were
still under apprehensions from the cries of fire that summoned them aft