Surprised, they stopped, and before they recovered from the shock, the second mate was among them, kicking and cuffing them back to the bunkers.
“Some one take these pails,” called a voice from the hatch above.
Glad of the opportunity to be of some use, the boys sprang up the ladder and took positions from which Phil could hand the pails to Ted, who, in turn, passed them to the captain, and he threw their contents onto the heads, backs, and breasts of the chief and firemen who were working so desperately to rake out the fire.
The water, falling on the live coals, formed clouds of steam, but it revived the men and soon came the voice of the chief:
“Belay the water! She’s raked out.”
CHAPTER VIII
THE BOYS PROVE THEIR METAL
“How long will those fires under the other boilers hold, Mr. Morris?” asked the captain, as the chief engineer came up to him.
“About ten minutes at the present speed, sir.”
“How long if we anchor?”