Yet, with a tremendous effort, Wildfire Ned kept himself alive amid the dense smoke and flames around him.
With a ringing cheer he reached the deck.
“Saved! saved!” said Ned, and almost fell from sheer weakness!
But at that moment a low, rumbling noise like distant thunder caught the ears of all!
It was the sound of a mighty torrent of water rushing into the ship’s hold.
“The ship is scuttled! Away! away!” cried many voices.
In a moment more the ship trembled from stem to stern.
In a second she broke into halves!