ing a hole in the ship's timbers just on
her waterline, and letting in just as much water as the pumps could
afterwards get rid of again; but we found the combustion was right
in the middle of the cargo and that we should be obliged to flood
the entire hold before we could get at the right place. That scheme
consequently was no good. During the night, I had the deck bored in
various places and water poured down through the holes; but that again
seemed all of no use. There is only one thing that can be done; we must
persevere in excluding most carefully every breath of outer air, so that
perhaps the conflagration deprived of oxygen may smoulder itself out.
That is our only hope."

"But, you say the fire is increasing?"

"Yes; and that shows that in spite of all our care there is some
aperture which we have not been able to discover, by which, somehow or
other, air gets into the hold."

"Have you ever heard of a vessel surviving such circumstances?" I asked.

"Yes, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis; "it is not at all an unusual thing for
ships laden with cotton to arrive at Liverpool or Havre with a portion
of their cargo consumed; and I have myself known more than one captain
run into port with his deck scorching his very feet, and who, to save
his vessel and the remainder of his freight has been compelled to unload
with the utmost expedition. But, in such cases, of course the fire has
been more or less under control throughout the voyage; with us, it
is increasing day by day, and I tell you I am convinced there is an
aperture somewhere which has escaped our notice."

"But would it not be advisable for us to retrace our course, and make
for the nearest land?"

"Perhaps it would," he answered. "Walter and I, and the boatswain, are
going to talk the matter over seriously with the captain to-day. But,
between ourselves, I have taken the responsibility upon myself; I have
already changed the tack to the south-west; we are now straight before
the wind, and consequently we are sailing towards the coast."

"I need hardly ask," I added; "whether any of the other passengers are
at all aware of the imminent danger in which we are placed."

"None of them," he said; "not in the least; and I hope you will not
enlighten them. We don't want terrified women and cowardly men to add to
our embarrassment; the crew are under orders to keep a strict silence on
the subject. Silence is indispensable."

I promised to keep the matter a profou