outward
toward him. He felt himself falling backward, and vainly threw out his
hands to grasp some support. Farther and farther the bale toppled
outward, until it struck against Nat, and knocked him from his feet.

He fell to the floor of the hold, in a little aisle between two tiers
of freight, and the bale was on top of him.

[Illustration: "He fell to the floor of the hold"]

He heard a crash of glass, and knew that the lantern had been tipped
over and broken. Then everything was dark, and he heard a strange
ringing in his ears. Nat had been knocked unconscious alone down in
the big hold, but, worse than this, a tiny tongue of fire, from the
exposed lantern wick, was playing on the bales of inflammable stuff.

CHAPTER VIII

IN THE PILOT-HOUSE

About half an hour after Mr. Dunn had sent Nat into the hold the
purser began to wonder what kept the boy. He knew his task should not
have taken him more than ten minutes, for Nat was prompt with whatever
he had to do.

"I hope he isn't going to do the way one boy did I used to have," said
the purser to himself, "go down there and sleep. I think I'll take a
look. Maybe he can't find those bales, though they were in plain
sight."

As he started toward the hatchway, down which Nat had gone, he met
Captain Marshall, who, as was his custom, was taking a stroll about
the ship, to see that everything was all right. He never trusted
entirely to his officers.

When he saw the purser, Mr. Marshall came to a sudden stop, and began
to sniff the air suspiciously.

"Don't you smell smoke, Mr. Dunn?" he asked.

The purser took several deep breaths.

"I certainly do," he replied, "and it seems to come from this hatch. I
sent Nat down there a while ago, to check off some bales."

"I hope he isn't smoking cigarettes down there," said the captain
quickly. "If he is, I'll discharge him instantly."

"Nat doesn't smoke," replied Mr. Dunn. "But it's queer why he stays
down there so long. I'm going to take a look."

"I'll go with you," decided the captain.

No sooner had they started to descend the hatchway than they both were
made aware that the smell of smoke came from the hold, and that it was
growing stronger.

"Fire! There's a fire in the cargo!" exclaimed Captain Marshall.
"Sound the alarm, Mr. Dunn, while I go below and make an
investigation. If it's been caused by that boy----"

He did not finish, but hurried down into the hold, while Mr. Dunn
sounded the a