Read The Survivors of the Chancellor for Free Online

side, to get a
breath of air.
    This morning at daybreak I went on deck. The sun had
scarcely risen, and the air was fresh and cool, in strange con-
trast to the heat which below the poop had been quite op-
pressive. The sailors as usual were washing the deck. A
great sheet of water, supplied continuously by the pumps,
was rolling in tiny wavelets, and escaping now to starboard,
now to larboard through the scupper-holes. After watch-
ing the men for a while as they ran about bare-footed, I
could not resist the desire to join them, so taking off my
shoes and stockings, I proceeded to dabble in the flowing
water.
    Great was my amazement to find the deck perfectly hot to
my feet! Curtis heard my exclamation of surprise, and be-
fore I could put my thoughts into words, said:
    "Yes! there is fire on board!"
CHAPTER IX
CURTIS EXPLAINS THE SITUATION
    OCTOBER 19. — Everything, then, is clear. The uneas-
iness of the crew, their frequent conferences, Owen's mys-
terious words, the constant scourings of the deck and the
oppressive heat of the cabins which had been noticed even
by my fellow-passengers, all are explained.
    After his grave communication, Curtis remained silent.
I shivered with a thrill of horror; a calamity the most ter-
rible that can befall a voyager stared me in the face, and it
was some seconds before I could recover sufficient com-
posure to inquire when the fire was first discovered.
    "Six days ago," replied the mate.
    "Six days ago!" I exclaimed; "why, then, it was that
night."
    "Yes," he said, interrupting me; "it was the night you
heard the disturbance upon deck. The men on watch no-
ticed a slight smoke issuing from the large hatchway and
immediately called Captain Huntly and myself. We found
beyond all doubt, that the cargo was on fire, and what was
worse, that there was no possibility of getting at the seat of
the combustion. What could we do? Why, we took the
only precaution that was practicable under the circumstances,
and resolved most carefully to exclude every breath of air
from penetrating into the hold. For some time I hoped that
we had been successful. I thought that the fire was stifled;
but during the last three days there is every reason to make
us know that it has been gaining strength. Do what we
will, the deck gets hotter and hotter, and unless it were kept
constantly wet, it would be unbearable to the feet. But I
am glad, Mr. Kazallon," he added; "that you have made
the discovery. It is better that you should know it." I
listened in silence. I was now fully aroused to the gravity of
the situation and thoroughly comprehended how we were in
the very face of a calamity which it seemed that no human
power could avert.
    "Do you know what has caused the fire?" I presently
inquired.
    "It probably arose," he answered, "from the sponta-
neous combustion of the cotton. The case is rare, but it is
far from unknown. Unless the cotton is perfectly dry when
it is shipped, its confinement in a damp or ill-ventilated hold
will sometimes cause it to ignite; and I have no doubt it is
this that has brought about our misfortune."
    "But after all," I said, "the cause matters very little.
Is there no remedy? Is there nothing to be done?"
    "Nothing, Mr. Kazallon," he said. "As I told you be-
fore, we have adopted the only possible measure within our
power to check the fire. At one time I thought of knock-
ing a hole in the ship's timbers just on her water-line, and
letting in just as much water as the pumps could afterward
get rid of again; but we found the combustion was right in
the middle of the cargo and that we should be obliged to
flood the entire hold before we could get at the right place.
That scheme consequently was no good. During the night,
I had the deck bored in various places and water poured
down through the holes; but that again seemed of no use.
There is only one thing that can be done; we must persevere
in excluding most carefully every breath of outer air, so that
perhaps the conflagration,