“On the jump,” cried Jack.
He despatched his errand in a few minutes, and was back in the wireless room with instructions to “stand by” and get further information as soon as possible.
“Anything new?” he asked Muller.
The wireless man shook his head.
“Nothing but that first S. O. S.,” he said.
Suddenly there came a shout from Bill, who was standing in the door.
“Look, Jack, what’s that off there?” he exclaimed, pointing to the horizon.
A dull glow was reflected against the night sky in the direction he indicated. Now it flashed bright as a blown furnace, and again it sank to a faint glare. Jack was not long in deciding what it was.
“It’s a ship on fire,” he declared.
At almost the same moment a hoarse shout from the forward lookout and a shouted reply from the bridge told that the glare had been observed from there, too.