“Now, my lad,” said Mr. Briggs, “show me where you saw this smoke issuing.”
Ned lost no time in escorting the officer to the pipe from whence he had noted the alarming symptoms first. As they came abreast of the pipe, all doubt that a mistake might have been made was removed. Puffs of sulphurous smoke were coming from it in a constant stream now. Mr. Briggs looked very grave.
“I’m sorry to say, Strong, that your conclusions were certainly correct,” he said. “That bunker is on fire.”
Captain Dunham received the chief engineer’s report without moving a muscle of his face.
“We must take immediate steps to fight the fire,” he said. “The partition is flooded?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good. Strong, you will go to the master-at-arms and tell him to assign you a squad of at least twenty men. They must be silent about their detail and you will instruct the master-at-arms to say nothing. You will report to Mr. Briggs in the fire-room and he will direct you what to do.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“Carry on.”
Ned hastened off while the two officers remained in grave consultation on the bridge.