playing with
the first object which attracted their attention, or smiling at their
parents. The officers commanding the troops were two ensigns newly
entered, and very young men, ignorant of their duty and without any
authority--for men in cases of extreme danger will not obey those who
are more ignorant than themselves--and, at Philip's request, they
remained with and superintended the women and children.

So soon as Philip had given his orders that the women and children
should be properly clothed (which many of them were not), he went again
forward to superintend the labour of the seamen, who already began to
show symptoms of fatigue, from the excess of their exertions; but many
of the soldiers now offered to work at the pumps, and their services
were willingly accepted. Their efforts were in vain. In about half an
hour more, the hatches were blown up with a loud noise, and a column of
intense and searching flame darted up perpendicularly from the hold,
high as the lower mast-head. Then was heard the loud shriek of the
women, who pressed their children in agony to their breasts, as the
seamen and soldiers who had been working the pumps, in their precipitate
retreat from the scorching flames, rushed aft, and fell among the
huddled crowd.

"Be steady, my lads--steady, my good fellows," exclaimed Philip; "there
is no danger yet. Recollect we have our boats and raft, and although we
cannot subdue the fire, and save the vessel, still we may, if you are
cool and collected, not only save ourselves, but every one--even the
poor infants who now appeal to you as men to exert yourselves in their
behalf. Come, come, my lads, let us do our duty--we have the means of
escape in our power if we lose no time. Carpenter, get your axes, and
cut away the boom-lashings. Now, my men, let us get our boats out, and
make a raft fur these poor women and children; we are not ten miles from
the land. Krantz, see to the boats with the starboard watch: larboard
watch with me, to launch over the booms. Gunners, take any of the
cordage you can, ready for lashing. Come, my lads, there is no want of
light--we can work without lanterns."

The men obeyed: as Philip, to encourage them, had almost jocularly
remarked (for a joke is often well-timed, when apparently on the
threshold of eternity) there was no want of light. The column of fire
now ascended above the main-top--licking with its forky tongue the
top-mast rigging--and embracing t