out bright and
clear as if lit-up by the blaze, and there were moments when the silent
burning and the floating away of those waves of light beyond the busy
black and gold figures at the cabin-window seemed to be part of some
strange dream.

All at once, as the men were hurrying to and fro, one of the
spirit-casks exploded so loudly that I saw them all dash for the
windows. Then came another and another report in such quick succession,
that it was almost like one. There was a tremendous burst of flame,
which floated high up, and I felt that the masts must catch now, and
then the cabin-lights stood cut clear without a figure visible; a burst
of talking, and then a roar of laughter telling that all had safely
reached the boats.

The next minute the Frenchman's voice came clearly to us as he ordered
the men to mount again, and this was answered by a confused clamour.

"You miserable gang of cowards!" shouted Jarette, sharply; and his words
were so clear coming across the water that they might have been spoken a
dozen yards away.

"Why don't you go up yourself?" cried one of the men, evidently from the
next boat.

"Because I order you," he shouted.

"And because you are afraid."

I did not catch what he said, but there was a little stir in one of the
boats, and directly after I saw a figure appear at the window of Captain
Berriman's cabin and begin to climb in.

"There he is," whispered Bob Hampton. "Sarve him right if the boys
rowed away and left him."

I was too much interested in the scene before me to pay much heed to Bob
Hampton's words, and sat watching Jarette, as he turned from the window
and disappeared. Then, directly after, I heard him shout and shout
again, something which sounded familiar, but I could not quite make it
out even when I heard him calling again, but nobody in the boats seemed
to stir.

Bob Hampton grasped the fact though, for he laid his hand on my knee,
and whispered excitedly--

"Why, Mr Dale, sir, he's gone up to fetch Mr and Miss Denning, and he
can't find 'em."

To endorse his words Jarette appeared the next minute at the
stern-windows and cried--

"Did any of you see those passengers?" There was of course a chorus of
Noes, and the man ran back again shouting Mr Denning's name, and we
could hear the banging of cabin-doors. Then I saw the man's shadow as
he came back into the captain's cabin to fetch the lamp, with which he
went back, and, as I judged, ran from cabin t