him that he wanted to get ahead of the wind, and that he was tacking to
the west to catch a favourable current.

To-day, the 21st, all has gone on as usual; and as far as the
observation of the passengers has reached, the ordinary routine has been
undisturbed. Curtis indulges the hope even yet that by excluding the
air, the fire may be stifled before it ignites the general cargo; he has
hermetically closed every accessible aperture, and has even taken the
precaution of plugging the orifices of the pumps, under the impression
that their suction-tubes, running as they do to the bottom of the
hold, may possibly be channels for conveying some molecules of air.
Altogether, he considers it a good sign that the combustion has not
betrayed itself by some external issue of smoke.

The day would have passed without any incident worth recording if I had
not chanced to overhear a fragment of a conversation which demonstrated
that our situation hitherto precarious enough, had now become most
appalling.

As I was sitting on the poop, two of my fellow-passengers, Falsten,
the engineer, and Ruby, the merchant whom I had observed to be often in
company, were engaged in conversation almost close to me. What they said
was evidently not intended for my hearing, but my attention was directed
towards them by some very emphatic gestures of dissatisfaction on the
part of Falsten, and I could not forbear listening to what followed.

"Preposterous! shameful!" exclaimed Falsten; "nothing could be more
imprudent."

"Pooh! pooh!" replied Ruby; "it's all right; it is not the first time I
have done it."

"But don't you know that any shock at any time might cause an
explosion?"

"Oh, it's all properly secured," said Ruby, "tight enough; I have no
fears on that score, Mr. Falsten."

"But why," asked Falsten, "did you not inform the captain?"

"Just because if I had informed him, he would not have taken the case on
board."

The wind dropped for a few seconds; and for a brief interval I could
not catch what passed; but I could see that Falsten continued to
remonstrate, whilst Ruby answered by shrugging his shoulders. At length
I heard Falsten say,--

"Well, at any rate the captain must be informed of this, and the package
shall be thrown overboard. I don't want, to be blown up."

I started. To what could the engineer be alluding? Evidently he had not
the remotest suspicion that the cargo was already on fire. In another
moment the words