ges upon which the men in the hold were
working. There was a loud, hissing sound, as the water that was being
poured down the hatchway became converted into steam, and then, with a
quick, unexpected roar of fire, the flames shot up in such fierce volume
that the men were driven precipitately up on deck.

"Ah!" ejaculated the mate in an aside to me; "I know what that is; and
it's what I've been fearing. There's a lot of shellac and gums of
different sorts down there, and the fire's got at 'em. They'll burn
like oil, or worse, and I'm afraid we shall have our work cut out now to
get the fire under."

I fully agreed with him, or rather I began to entertain a suspicion that
the ship was doomed, for the heat, even while the mate had been
speaking, had grown intense. The whole contents of the hatchway had
burst into flame, and the ruddy tongues of fire were now darting through
the hatchway, as through a chimney, to a height of fully twenty feet
above the deck. The coamings were on fire, the pitch was beginning to
bubble and boil out of the seams of the deck planking, and the planks
themselves were already uncomfortably hot to stand upon. Unless the
fire could somehow be checked it seemed to me that it would soon be time
to think about getting out the boats.

The skipper meanwhile had come forward again, and, although looking very
anxious, was, I was glad to see, perfectly self-possessed.

"We shall have to clap the hatches on again, Mr Priest, and endeavour
to smother the fire," said he. "Let it be done at once."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered Priest. "Now then, lads, on with the hatches
some of you. Shall the carpenter cut holes in the deck, sir, for the
water to pass through?"

"Yes," answered the skipper. "We must keep the hose going, certainly."

But when the men came to attempt the replacing of the hatches, it was
found that the fire was already too much for them. The heat was so
fierce, and the flames poured forth so continuously, that they could not
get near enough to the hatchway to achieve their object. Then the
skipper and I made the attempt, with no better success, getting severely
scorched for our pains.

"Perhaps," said I, "it might be possible to do something with a wetted
sail--"

"An excellent suggestion, for which I am much obliged to you, Mr
Bowen!" exclaimed the skipper, interrupting me. "It shall be tried at
once."

And he forthwith gave the necessary orders.

A main-topgallant-sail wa