"I was just slueing round to go below, when I couldn't help thinking I felt smoke, like.
"At first the mate wouldn't have it. It was my imagination, he said. I'd been thinking too much about St. Elmo's fire, and all that rot. I'd better go and turn in, I should be better in the morning. He were just agoin' on like this and laughin' low to hisself, when up the fore-hatch comes the bo's'n.
"'Beggin' your pardon, sir,' he said, 'but I think the cargo is a-fire on the port side.'
"Deadlight and I hurried below now. Yes, sure enough, there was smoke coming up from the hold through the crevices of the hatchway.
"The cap'n was called, and was on deck afore you could have said 'binnacle'.
"He and the mate were very cool. So was all hands; and, cap'n, I always think it is a blessing when the ship and precious lives are in danger not to have any ladies on board, or longshore passenger swells. They beat creation with the fuss they make.
"I was precious sorry now that I hadn't got steam up instead of waitin' for the wind, for then we could have turned it into the hold and soon put out the fire.
"All hands were called and the pumps were manned.
"We cut a hole in the fore-hatch of the hold, and poured tons of water down. But even there where we stood our soles burned with heat, and we walked cautiously lest we should fall through the under-charred deck and be devoured by the fire below.
"I guess, cap'n, that the water we poured in just sunk through a portion o' the cargo, like, and lay at the bottom.