"Where are Phillips and Fagan?" asked Dan, sharply.
"They bunked in the steerage," replied a sailor, choking in the smoke
weltering up through the hose vent.
The young Captain's breath caught; but there was no time for sentiment.
He inspected the vessel, bow and stern, marshalled the members of the
Howland party into the saloon and bade them stay there until otherwise
ordered, and then went up to his men and fought with them. An hour
passed, and twenty more minutes. The lurid tinge to the smoke,
bellying up through the deck-vents, gave sharp hint of the undiminished
fury of the flames raging below.
"It's like pouring in oil," muttered Dan to himself; and then he added
aloud, "Keep right to it, men, you're holding it," and thus saying he
left them and ran aft to where the second mate and the reserve section
of eight men were growling impatiently.
"Take up your hose, men, and come with me down into hold No. 2. The
fire's going to clean out No. 1 to the skin, sure. We'll have to keep
it from breaking through to the other holds. Come on! Hurry!"
Without a word the men picked up the three lengths of emergency hose
and followed their Captain. As Dan ran along the deck, leading the way
to the hatch, he heard his name called, and looking up quickly, saw Mr.
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