, fortunately, to go in her; and the
skipper was just about mustering the hands on the after part of the main
deck, below the break of the poop, when there was a terrible explosion
forwards, the whole fore-part of the ship seeming to be rent in twain
and hurled heavenward in a sheet of flame as vivid as forked lightning!

I don't know by what sudden spasm of memory, but at that very instant my
thoughts flew back to my boyish days at Beachampton, and my attempt to
blow up Dr Hellyer and the whole school with gunpowder on that
memorable November day, as I have narrated. The present calamity seemed
somehow or other, to my morbid mind, a judgment on my former wicked
conduct--the reflection passing through my brain at the instant of the
explosion with almost a similar flash.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

HERSCHEL ISLAND.

"Maircy on us!" exclaimed Mr Macdougall, who at that moment was just
gingerly passing down the standard compass to Jorrocks, the boatswain,
standing up in the stern-sheets of the long-boat alongside, and
stretching up his hands as carefully to receive the precious instrument;
and the sudden blinding flash of the explosion and concussion of the air
that it caused, almost made him drop this in his fright. "Whateever on
airth ees that noo?"

"Matter?" repeated the skipper after him coolly, taking in cause and
effect at a glance. "Why, the gas generated by the heated coal in the
hold has blown out the forepeak, that's all! It is providential,
though, that the wrench which the foremast gave to the deck-beams and
bulkhead there when it carried away, so far weakened the ship forwards
as to enable the gas to find vent in that direction, otherwise the
entire deck would probably have been blown up--when it would have been a
poor look-out for all of us here aft!"

"Gudeness greecious!" ejaculated the mate again, blinking bewilderedly,
like an owl unexpectedly exposed to daylight; but Captain Billings did
not waste time in any further explanations or unnecessary words.

"I hope nobody's hurt! Run forwards, Leigh, and see," he said to me.

Fortunately, however, all had escaped without a scratch, although
fragments of the knees and other heavy portions of the vessel's timbers
had been hurled aloft and scattered in all directions, as if a mine had
been sprung below--the woodwork descending afterwards in a regular
hailstorm on our heads, blown into small pieces no bigger than matches,
and mixed up with a shower o