arms, deep in thought, as it might be, solving some hard
mechanical problem. He promised, at my request, that he would reveal
nothing of the new danger to which we were exposed through Ruby's
imprudence. Curtis himself took the responsibility of informing Captain
Huntly of our critical situation.

In order to insure complete secrecy, it was necessary to secure the
person of the unhappy Ruby, who, quite beside himself, continued to rave
up and down the deck with the incessant cry of "Fire! fire!" Accordingly
Curtis gave orders to some of his men to seize him and gag him; and
before he could make any resistance the miserable man was captured and
safely lodged in confinement in his own cabin.

CHAPTER XII.

OCTOBER 22nd.--Curtis has told the captain everything; for he persists
in ostensibly recognizing him as his superior officer, and refuses
to conceal from him our true situation. Captain Huntly received the
communication in perfect silence, and merely passing his hand across his
forehead as though to, banish some distressing thought, re-entered his
cabin without a word.

Curtis, Lieutenant Walter, Falsten, and myself have been discussing
the chances of our safety, and I am surprised to find with how much
composure we can all survey our anxious predicament.

"There is no doubt" said Curtis, "that we must abandon all hope
of arresting the fire; the heat towards the bow has already become
well-nigh unbearable, and the time must come when the flames will find
a vent through the deck. If the sea is calm enough for us to make use
of the boats, well and good; we shall of course get quit of the ship as
quietly as we can; if on the other hand, the weather should be adverse,
or the wind be boisterous, we must stick to our place, and contend with
the flames to the very last; perhaps, after all, we shall fare better
with the fire as a declared enemy than as a hidden one."

Falsten and I agreed with what he said, but I pointed out to him that
he had quite overlooked the fact of there being thirty pounds of
combustible matter in the hold.

"No" he gravely replied, "I have not forgotten it, but it is a
circumstance of which I do not trust myself to think I dare not run
the risk of admitting air into the hold by going down to search for the
powder, and yet I know not at what moment it may explode. No; it is a
matter that I cannot take at all into my reckoning, it must remain in
higher hands than mine."

We bowed our heads