-mate, come on duty at `eight
bells,' I smelt something burning in the forepeak.

Looking to see what was the matter, I noticed a thin column of smoke
coming up from the small hatch under the fo'c's'le.

Of course, I went aft at once and told Mr Flinders, who would not
believe me at first; but, as one of the other hands followed me up,
bringing the same report, he was at length induced to descend the poop
ladder and go forward to judge for himself whether we had told the truth
or not, muttering the while, though, that it was "all a pack o' durned
nonsense!"

He did not think this long, however, for hardly had he got beyond the
long-boat, when the smoke, which had got much denser while he had been
wasting time palavering without taking action, blowing into his face
convinced him that the matter was really serious.

All his nonchalance was gone in a moment, as well as his discretion;
for, without pausing to consider the effect that any sudden disclosure
of the danger might have on the crew by destroying their coolness and
pluck, he roared out at the pitch of his voice, as he banged away with
the heel of his boot on the deck:

"All hands ahoy! Tumble up thaar! Tumble up! The shep's on fire in
the hold!"

CHAPTER SIX.

CAPE HORN WEATHER.

"Je-rusalem!" exclaimed Captain Snaggs, rushing out from the cabin in
his night-shirt, having just turned in, and not stopping to dress--as
the fluttering white garment and his thin legs showing beneath plainly
demonstrated. This I noticed when the mass of heavy clouds with which
the sky was covered overhead shifted for a moment, allowing a stray
gleam from the watery moon to light up the deck, and saw the skipper
hurrying up to the scene of action, where he was the first to arrive.
"What's all this durned muss about?"

Jan Steenbock answered him. He had not gone below when his watch was
relieved, and being attracted by the row, was now preparing for
emergencies by rigging a hose on to the head-pump, so that this could be
at once passed down into the hold if necessary--the first-mate being too
frightened to do anything, even to reply to the captain when he spoke.
Indeed, he seemed perfectly paralysed with fear.

"Dere vas shmoke come out vrom ze forepeak," said the second-mate, in
his deep guttural tones; "and I zinks dere vas one fire in ze holt.
Mishter Vlinders vas give ze alarm and cal't all hands."

"Guess I heerd thet; an', I reckon, Mr Flinders hed better hev