when Tom and Ned were strolling about on deck, before turning in, that, the quiet of the ship was broken by what is always an alarming cry at sea.
"Fire! Fire!" shouted a man, pointing to a thin wisp of smoke curling up from the deck amidships.
"Keep quiet!" yelled one of the stewards. "It is nothing!
"It's a fire, I tell you!" insisted the man, and several others took up the cry.
A panic was imminent, and the captain came running from his quarters.
"What is it?" he asked.
An officer hurried to his side, and said something but in such a low voice that Tom, who was standing close beside the two, scarcely heard it. But he did hear this:
"There's a fire, sir, in hold number seventeen. We have turned the hose in there, and the pumps are working."
"Very good, Mr. Meld. Now try and quiet the passengers. Tell them it doesn't amount to much, and if it does we can flood that compartment."
Tom started at that.
"Come on, Ned!" he cried, grabbing his chum by the arm.
"Why, what's up? What's the matter?"
