from pilot-house to engine-room, sharper messages passed between
engine and fire rooms, while overworked men grew sullen and
threatened to throw down their shovels.

Dick offered to do the work of a fireman, but the engineer shook his
head and said:

"That's a man's work, boy."

"Give me a shovel and a chance."

And they were given him. He soon learned to throw the coal evenly
and feed the furnaces like a fireman, but his unseasoned body shrank
from the fierce heat; he staggered back from the hot blast every
time he swung open a great furnace door and, until the clang of its
closing, he could scarcely draw a breath. He threw off his jumper
and his white skin fairly gleamed in that grimy place. The other
firemen looked curiously at that slight, boyish form which was doing
a man's work like a man and there was no more shirking in front of
those furnaces. The fireman nearest the boy often pushed him aside
and spread shovelfuls of coal over his grates, rushing back to his
own work that it might not fall behind. A strong beam wind sprang up
and the boat rolled badly, while Dick, with his hands blistered,
fought fiercely to keep off seasickness and to keep up his fire.

Up in the main saloon and around the deck a young girl wandered as
if she wanted something without quite knowing what it was. She
climbed stairs under the sign "passengers not allowed," went in and
out of the pilot-house and, meeting the captain, asked if she
couldn't go wherever she wished on the boat. He replied:

"Yes, Miss. I appoint you third mate, with power to give any orders
you please and go wherever you wish."

A little later, with a dark waterproof drawn tightly over her light
dress, she opened the door leading to the engine-room, and clinging
to the heavy brass rail, climbed slowly down the narrow, greasy iron
stairway till she stood beside the mighty engine. The engineer
hastened to her side.

"It's against the rules and very dangerous, Miss, for a passenger to
come into this room."

"But the captain told me I could come."

"All right, but please be very careful and hold tight to that rail.
I am afraid I haven't any right to let you stay, anyhow."

"Thank you very much and I'll be very careful."

The girl watched the engine for some time and then crept slowly
along a steel bridge that looked like a spider's web, from which she
could look into the furnace-room, with its roaring fires, scorching
heat and constantly clanging iron doo