“Where’s Mr Gregory?” cried the captain.
“Here!” was the reply, and the first-mate’s head appeared above the coamings of the hatchway.
“Well?”
“I can make out nothing, sir,” said the mate, setting down his lantern, “only that the smoke is rising all over.”
“Can’t you localise the place?”
“No.”
“Up with the hatches, then, and let’s have the water in,” cried the captain. “You take the deck now, and I’ll go down. Three fresh men here.”
Half a dozen stepped forward and part were selected, for the discipline of the ship told, and not a man so much as glanced at the boats now.
“Axes,” said the captain, “and as soon as we haul off some hatches pass down that hose, Gregory, and begin handing down the buckets.”
“Are you going to stay below, sir?”