Apparently there was need for alarm, as the smoke had rapidly increased in volume, and was now pouring out of the little steamer.
At the same time they could plainly hear the shouts of excited men; while the shriller voices that arose told that there were women passengers aboard.
Dashing up to the side of the boat the boys scrambled aboard, hastily securing their canoes to any object that promised temporary anchorage.
Then they hurried to the cabin.
Here they found a scene of the utmost confusion. Men were trying to dash buckets of water upon the fire, which seemed to have gotten quite a foothold. It even looked as though the first trip of the little Eastern Star this season would prove to be her last.
Captain Amos was plainly badly rattled by this sudden emergency, though he was working like a trooper to extinguish the flames, and leading his two assistants, the engineer and deckhand, in gallant rushes almost into the fire, where the contents of the buckets they carried seemed to do little or no good.
Frank Langdon was possessed of a cool head in emergencies that called for tact. He made an astonishing discovery as soon as he arrived upon the scene of action. This consisted of the fact that in the tremendous excitement, with the passengers shrieking in his ears, the captain had entirely forgotten the fact that the boat was equipped with fire extinguishers.
“Here, fellows, get busy, strap this on my back, and then get another. We’ve got to put out this fire or some one will be burned to death, or drowned. Don’t let any woman jump overboard!” he exclaimed.
Jerry and Bluff seemed to catch some of the spirit that animated their leader. They succeeded in fastening the extinguisher to his back, even though their hands trembled while so doing.
No sooner had this been done before Frank was off, rushing directly toward the spot where the flames seemed to have taken hold most fiercely.