last word reached my ear there was the sharp report of the pistol, whose
flash shone out brighter than the lantern. Then a horrible cry came
from below, and for a few moments I could see nothing for the smoke
which hung in the air. But from out of it came an excited burst of
talking and yelling.

"Stand back," roared Jarette. "I have five more shots ready, and you
see I can hit. Serve the scoundrel right."

"But look, look!" shouted the man who had spoken before; and as the
smoke dispersed, I saw him pointing down into the hold, while the other
men, sobered now, stood huddled together in alarm.

Then with a wild yell of horror one of them threw up his hands, shouting
"Fire, fire!" ran forward, while a fearful figure suddenly appeared at
the mouth of the hold, climbed on deck, and then shrieking horribly,
also ran forward with Jarette and the others in full pursuit.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

It was a horrible sight, one which made me cling to the bulwarks
absolutely paralysed, for the man who had climbed on deck was one mass
of blue and yellow flames, which flickered and danced from foot to
shoulder, and in those brief moments I realised that he must have fallen
and overset the spirit-keg when Jarette fired, saturated his garments,
and no doubt the fallen lantern had set all instantaneously in a blaze.

It was impossible to stir. My legs trembled, and every shriek uttered
by the poor wretch, as he ran wildly here and there, thrilled me through
and through. One moment it seemed as if he were coming headlong toward
me, and I felt that discovery was inevitable; but before he reached the
open hold, he dashed across the deck to the starboard bulwark, turned
and ran forward again shrieking more loudly than ever, while the rapid
motion through the air made the flames burn more furiously, and I could
distinctly hear them flatter and roar.

His messmates, headed by Jarette, were not idle; they shouted to him to
stop; they chased him, and some tried to cut him off here and there; but
as if the idea of being stopped maddened him, the poor wretch shifted,
dodged, and avoided them in the most wonderful manner, shrieking more
wildly than ever, as a man who had been below suddenly confronted him
with a tarpaulin to fling round him and smother the flames.

At last, with the sharp tongues of fire rising above his head, he made
one maddened rush forward, and the whole of the party in pursuit; while
his cries, and the sight