“What’s the matter? Is the cook burning the steak?” asked Fenn.
“Something’s burning,” answered the commander, with a grave face.
A moment later a sailor, much excited, came rushing up on deck.
“Fire in the forward hold, sir!” he called.
CHAPTER XVII
A STRANGE VISION
Captain Wiggs was not built on speed lines. He was short and squatty, and inclined to be fat. But the way in which he hustled about as soon as he heard what the sailor said was sufficient to qualify him to enter a go-as-you-please race of almost any kind.
With a few jumps he was at the companionway leading below, and, as he went the boys could hear him call out: