“Then shut it,” said the captain. “Go on deck. The catch is fast outside.”
I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at it, that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, who was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head showed for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the pedlar. The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their breakfast. The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him about the deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving me free to go below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the 'tweendecks gloom, I saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's stores lashed to the deck there. I could not see who it was; it was too dark for that but the thing seemed strange to me. I guessed that it might be my enemy the boatswain, so I passed aft to the cabin on the other side.
Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck.
“What's that?” said the captain, starting up from his chair.
“Sounds like fire,” said Mr. Jermyn.
“Fire forward,” said the captain, turning very white. “There's five tons of powder forward.”
“What?” cried the Duke.
At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on deck. “Aft for the hose there, Bill,” we heard. Feet rushed aft along the deck, helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a violent heave. Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as scared as a man can be.
“On deck,” he cried. “We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the bo'sun's locker. Quick.”
“Just over the powder,” the captain said, rushing out.