! The boats!" cried two or three. "We are all lost!"

"Yes, if you do not obey," cried Jarette, speaking slowly through his
teeth, and with a very marked French accent, as he did when greatly
excited. "I go not to lose our great prize, for which I have fought and
won. Every man now a bucket, and you four to the pump and hose."

"Draw back a little," whispered Mr Brymer; "they have not seen us."

"Shall we get buckets, sir?" said Bob Hampton in a gruff whisper.

"No; it is useless. There are nearly fifty of those casks of strong
spirits there below, and no efforts of ours could stop that fire."

"But you will not let it burn without an effort?" whispered Mr Frewen.

"I shall let it burn, sir, without an effort," said Mr Brymer, drawing
back, and leading Mr Frewen toward the companion, I being so close that
I could hear every word, which was only intended for the doctor's ears.
"I'll tell you why," he said. "As those casks burst, the spirit will
run through the cargo in all directions, the flame will glide along the
surface, and as the spirit heats, the hold will be full of inflammable
gas, which will keep on exploding."

"Yes," said Mr Frewen, angrily; "but an abundance of water--"

"Would not stop the flashing of that spirit here and there, doctor,
till, sooner or later, it reaches the blasting-powder. That must be
reached, and then the ship will be rent open."

"Great heaven!" cried Mr Frewen.

"And the fire will be extinguished then. My good sir, with a
well-trained crew, working calmly, we might perhaps reach the powder and
cast it overboard; but, situated as we are now, any efforts of ours
would be worse than folly."

"Then--the boat!"

"Yes, but don't hurry or grow excited; the vessel may burn a day or two
before the final calamity comes. We have plenty of time to do our
duty."

"Yes, I understand," said Mr Frewen, and he hurried towards the saloon.

"Aren't we going to try and put out the fire, Mr Brymer, sir?" said Bob
Hampton.

"No, my lad; we'll leave that to Jarette and his gang. Come and help."

By this time we had reached the cabin-door, from beneath which the faint
light shone, and Mr Frewen exclaimed--

"Are you there, Miss Denning?"

"Yes, yes," she cried eagerly. "Pray, pray help us."

"Yes. One minute; is the door locked on the inside?"

"Yes," came from within, in company with a sharp snapping sound which
was repeated, while the doctor felt outside, and convinced hims