“Andy, what is it?” asked Chet, and bent over his chum. Then he saw some sparks on Andy’s clothing, and saw that part of his lower garments had been burnt off. Loggermore had had sense enough to extinguish the blaze on his own clothing.
Soon half a dozen of the sailors and Esquimaux were on the scene, and they began to put out the flames by throwing snow and cakes of ice on the storehouse. In the meantime Chet pulled Andy to a safe distance. As he did this the latter opened his eyes and started up.
“Le—let go, Loggermore!” he gasped.
“It’s all right, Andy.”
“Oh, is that you, Chet! Whe—where is Loggermore?”
“Dancing around like a maniac.”
“He is crazy. He—he tried to burn me and strangle me!” panted Andy.
“What in the world made him crazy?”
“The darkness. He wanted a light, so he set fire to the storehouse.”
By this time Andy felt a little better. But he was very weak, and Chet had to help him back to the steamer. Here he sat down and told his tale. Then Chet went out to relate what he had heard to Captain Williamson and the others.