The stream weakened, fell, and ceased. Keighley turned the searchlight on the street and called, “All right. Now put her back where she was!” He dropped down the wheelhouse ladder and ran aft as the boat drew up again at the foot of the street.
Moran stood a moment, the jaw muscle working in his cheek. Then he went ashore in grim silence.
It was a silence that promised him satisfaction in the morning, when Keighley should be notified that he was relieved of his command.
“Shine” chuckled as he dragged on his line. “Moran got his dose, I guess.”
Farley replied, “There’s trouble in it fer th’ ol’ man, though.”
“Shine” retorted, in his turn, “Don’t you worry!”
XI
TEN minutes later the whole street was blotted out in smoke. The streams roared from the nozzles, and were lost in it. The pipemen, with heads down and eyes shut, braced themselves against the back-pressure and fought for breath. The officers, staggering into them, shouldered them forward, smothering. The whole line throttled in darkness, without orders, without head, swayed and struggled and stood helpless.