rescued from the
store-room such few provisions as the heat of the compartment allowed
him to obtain; and a lot of cases of salt meat and biscuits, a cask of
brandy, some barrels of fresh water, together with some sails and wraps,
a compass and other instruments are now lying packed in a mass all ready
for prompt removal to the boats whenever we shall be obliged to leave
the ship.

About eight o'clock in the evening, a noise is heard, distinct even
above the raging of the hurricane. The panels of the deck are upheaved,
and volumes of black smoke issue upwards as if from a safety-valve. An
universal consternation seizes one and all: we must leave the volcano
which is about to burst beneath our feet. The crew run to Curtis for
orders. He hesitates; looks first at the huge and threatening waves;
looks then at the boats. The long-boat is there, suspended right along
the centre of the deck; but it is impossible to approach it now;
the yawl, however, hoisted on the starboard side, and the whale-boat
suspended aft, are still available. The sailors make frantically for the
yawl.

"Stop, stop," shouts Curtis; "do you mean to cut off our last and only
chance of safety? Would you launch a boat in such a sea as this?"

A few of them, with Owen at their head, give no heed to what he says.
Rushing to the poop, and seizing a cutlass, Curtis shouts again,--

"Touch the tackling of the davit, one of you; only touch it, and I'll
cleave your skull."

Awed by his determined manner, the men retire, some clambering into the
shrouds, whilst others mount to the very top of the masts.

At eleven o'clock, several loud reports are heard, caused by the
bursting asunder of the partitions of the hold. Clouds of smoke issue
from the front, followed by a long tongue of lambent flame that seems to
encircle the mizzen-mast. The fire now reaches to the cabin occupied by
Mrs. Kear, who, shrieking wildly, is brought on deck by Miss Herbey.
A moment more, and Silas Huntly makes his appearance, his face all
blackened with the grimy smoke; he bows to Curtis, as he passes, and
then proceeds in the calmest manner to mount the aft-shrouds, and
installs himself at the very top of the mizzen.

The sight of Huntly recalls to my recollection the prisoner still below,
and my first impulse is to rush to the staircase and do what I can to
set him free. But the maniac has already eluded his confinement, and
with singed hair and his clothes already alight, rushe