e, I'll knock your silly nose into your watch-pocket. Turn-to
there and pass down another batch of those squalling passengers into the
boats. Don't you spill any of them overboard either, or, by the Big
Mischief, I'll just step down and teach you handiness."

The second mate was almost fainting with the heat before he left the
_Grosser Carl_, but he insisted on being the last man on board, and then
guyed the whole performance with caustic gayety when he was dragged out
of the water, into which he had been forced to jump, and was set to
drain on the floor gratings of a boat.

The _Grosser Carl_ had fallen away before the wind, and was spouting
flame from stem-head to poop-staff by the time the last of the rescuers
and the rescued were put on the _Flamingo's_ deck, and on that
travel-worn steamboat were some six hundred and fifty visitors that
somehow or other had to be provided for.

The detail of famine now became of next importance. They were still five
days' steam away from port, and their official provision supply was only
calculated to last the _Flamingos_ themselves for a little over that
time. Things are cut pretty fine in these days of steam voyages to
scheduled time. So there was no sentimental waiting to see the _Grosser
Carl_ finally burn out and sink. The boats were cast adrift, as the
crews were too exhausted to hoist them in, and the _Flamingo's_ nose was
turned toward Liverpool. Pratt, the chief engineer, figured out to half
a ton what coal he had remaining, and set the pace so as to run in with
empty bunkers. They were cool now, all hands, from the excitement of the
burning ship, and the objectionable prospect of semi-starvation made
them regard their visitors less than ever in the light of men
and brothers.

But, as it chanced, toward the evening of next day, a hurrying ocean
greyhound overtook them in her race from New York toward the East, and
the bunting talked out long sentences in the commercial code from the
wire span between the _Flamingo's_ masts. Fresh quartettes of flags
flicked up on both steamers, were acknowledged, and were replaced by
others; and when the liner drew up alongside, and stopped with reversed
propellers, she had a loaded boat ready swung out in davits, which
dropped in the water the moment she had lost her way. The bunting had
told the pith of the tale.

When the two steamers' bridges were level, the liner's captain touched
his cap, and a crowd of well-dressed passengers b