the half of the steamer which lay aft of
the hold became unapproachable on account of the dense volumes of black
smoke which flew in clouds over it, driven by the head-wind against
which the little steamer was making its way.

The captain quickly ordered every passenger forward into the bows of the
vessel, out of the reach of the heat and suffocating smoke. The crew
then attempted, with hose and pump, to keep the fire in hand; but
already, it appeared, the flames had obtained the mastery, and their
attempts came too late. The cargo, I believe, was tow, or some other
oily substance difficult to extinguish once the fire had secured a firm
hold upon it. Moreover, the smoke and heat were such that it was
impossible for the workers to approach near enough to concentrate their
efforts where they would be most likely to succeed.

The passengers huddled together in the bows of the little steamer and
watched the efforts of the crew. It was obvious that these efforts had
failed.

'Have we time to reach Shukisama?' men and women asked one another; 'it
is twenty miles, or more--nearly two hours--shall we do it?' The
captain, when anxiously asked as to this, replied: 'We hope so; who can
tell? Much depends on the man at the wheel.'

The man at the wheel! Not one of us selfish people in safety and
comfort--speaking comparatively--in the bows, had thought of the poor
fellow back there in the stern, sticking bravely to his post in spite of
the dense, hot smoke which must be enveloping him in its suffocating
fumes.

'He cannot last long, captain,' said some one, 'in that atmosphere; he
will be suffocated, or he will give up and jump into the sea. What will
happen if there is no one to steer the ship?'

'She will go round and round,' replied the captain, laughing grimly,
'while we are roasted or drowned. At present he is sticking to his post,
and we are travelling in our course. You may be thankful, all of you,
that we have a brave man, young Hayashi, at the wheel. He was only
married last week, and his wife is at Shukisama; you may be sure he will
do his best to get home.'

'A man may be ever so much in love,' said a passenger, 'but he cannot
breathe fire and smoke for air: it must be pretty hot where he is, and
it will soon be hotter!'

A cry went up for volunteers to relieve the man at the wheel. Several
came forward--they are brave as lions, these Japanese. One was selected
as the first to make an effort to pass through th