ed him.

For the next two hours slowly and silently ammunition and such food as
they possessed in the shape of preserved meats and such like from the
captain's store were lowered down and packed in the bottom of the boat
and beneath the thwarts, and this was hardly done when a dull glow
seemed to show up the window above their head.

"Climb up, Mark, and tell them to put out that light," whispered Mr
Gregory.

Mark obeyed, not without some difficulty, and found that the saloon was
in a state of excitement.

"I've been smelling it this last half 'our, sir," said Billy Widgeon,
"but I thout it was some queer kind o' bacco as they Malay chaps smoked,
so I didn't speak."

"Ah, there's no mistake about it, Captain Strong!" said the second-mate;
"the ship is on fire, sir. They'll take alarm directly."

Almost as he spoke the Malays, who must have been asleep, did take the
alarm, and in a minute the whole deck was in an uproar.

"We've no time to lose," said the captain, and he ran to the window and
whispered down to Gregory what was wrong.

"Go down, Small," said the captain then, "and help take the ladies as we
lower them. Every man keep to his arms."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Is the ammunition down?"

"Yes, father," said Mark. "I stowed it myself in the locker."

Already the smoke was gathering in the cabin, and bright light shining
in through the damaged barricade, but thanks to the example set there
was no confusion after the first minute. The captain took his place by
the window and gave his orders, and one by one the ladies, the wounded,
the dog, and the monkey were lowered down, and then turn by turn the men
followed.

It now became evident that there was no farther need to fear attack, for
the Malays were rapidly quitting the burning ship amid yells and
confusion, while the light increased, and fortunately made the spot
where the boat lay beneath the stern seem by comparison more dark.

At last Mark followed the men, and was resting on the sill trying to
recollect whether all the arms were in the boat, when he heard the
captain say:

"Did you set her on fire?"

"My dear boy, no," cried the major.

"You proposed burning the ship."

"Just as I would if I were in command and about to evacuate a fort, my
dear sir; but how could I do this? She caught fire somewhere amidships,
I should say from their carelessness. Gun-wads have been smouldering
about, perhaps."

"Perhaps so," said the captain thought