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deprived of oxygen, may smoulder
itself out. That is our only hope."
    "But, you say the fire is increasing?"
    "Yes; and that shows that in spite of all our care there
is some aperture which we have not been able to discover,
by which, somehow or other, air gets into the hold."
    "Have you ever heard of a vessel surviving such cir-
cumstances?" I asked.
    "Yes, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis; "it is not at all an
unusual thing for ships laden with cotton to arrive at Liver-
pool or Havre with a portion of their cargo consumed; and I
have myself known more than one captain run into port with
his deck scorching his very feet, and who, to save his vessel
and the remainder of his freight has been compelled to un-
load with the utmost expedition. But, in such cases, of
course the fire has been more or less under control through-
out the voyage; with us, it is increasing day by day, and I
tell you I am convinced there is an aperture somewhere
which has escaped our notice."
    "But would it not be advisable for us to retrace our
course, and make for the nearest land?"
    "Perhaps it would," he answered. "Walter and I, and
the boatswain, are going to talk the matter over seriously
with the captain to-day. But, between ourselves, I have
taken the responsibility upon myself; I have already
changed the tack to the southwest; we are now straight be-
fore the wind, and consequently we are sailing toward the
coast."
    "I need hardly ask," I added; "whether any of the other
passengers are at all aware of the imminent danger in which
we are placed."
    "None of them," he said; "not in the least; and I hope
you will not enlighten them. We don't want terrified
women and cowardly men to add to our embarrassment; the
crew are under orders to keep a strict silence on the subject.
Silence is indispensable."
    I promised to keep the matter a profound secret, as I
fully entered into Curtis's views as to the absolute necessity
for concealment.
CHAPTER X
PICRATE OF POTASH ON BOARD
    OCTOBER 20 and 21. — The Chancellor is now crowded
with all the canvas she can carry, and at times her topmasts
threaten to snap with the pressure. But Curtis is ever on
the alert; he never leaves his post beside the man at the
helm, and without compromising the safety of the vessel, he
contrives, by tacking to the breeze, to urge her on at her
utmost speed.
    All day long on the 20th the passengers were assembled
on the poop. Evidently they found the heat of the cabins
painfully oppressive, and most of them lay stretched upon
benches and quietly enjoyed the gentle rolling of the vessel.
The increasing heat of the deck did not reveal itself to
their well-shod feet, and the constant scouring of the boards
did not excite any suspicion in their torpid minds. M.
Letourneur, it is true, did express his surprise that the crew
of an ordinary merchant vessel should be distinguished by
such extraordinary cleanliness; but as I replied to him in
a very casual tone, he passed no further remark. I could
not help regretting that I had given Curtis my pledge of
silence, and longed intensely to communicate the melancholy
secret to the energetic Frenchman; for at times when I re-
flect upon the eight-and-twenty victims who may probably,
only too soon, be a prey to the relentless flames, my heart
seems ready to burst.
    The important consultation between captain, mate, lieuten-
ant and boatswain has taken place. Curtis has confided the
result to me. He says that Huntly, the captain, is com-
pletely demoralized; he has lost all power and energy; and
practically leaves the command of the ship to him. It is
now certain the fire is beyond control, and that sooner or
later it will burst out in full violence. The temperature of
the crew's quarters has already become almost unbearable.
One solitary hope remains; it is that we may reach the shore
before the final catastrophe occurs. The Lesser Antilles
are the nearest land; and although they are some five or
six hundred miles away, if the wind remains northeast