Herc straightened up as well as he could in his bunk and listened.
A thrill of horror shot through him, as, like a flash, he sensed the nature of the shouts that had aroused him.
"Fire! Fire! Fire!"
The terrifying cry echoed from bow to stern of the ship and Herc now recognized a fact which he had not in first sleepy stupor realized, and that was that their cabin was hazy with smoke, which was becoming momentarily thicker. The heat, also, was growing rapidly insupportable.
With one bound, the boy was on the floor, and shaking Ned by the shoulder.
"Ned, Ned, wake up!" he roared at the top of his voice.
"Aye, aye, sir!" came in a sleepy voice from Ned, who was dreaming that he was still back in the training school and that reveille had blown.
A minute later, however, Herc's shaking aroused him to his senses, and a few rapidly spoken words apprised him of the seriousness of the situation.
"Tumble into your clothes quick!" gasped Herc, as breathing in the smoke-filled room became every moment more difficult.