"Yes, and send it on deck. See, there's the fire!" and the officer pointed to where a glow could be seen amid some bales of cotton. "It will be slow burning, that's one good thing, and by turning steam into this compartment we can soon put it out."
"It's pretty close to my box," commented Tom, "but there isn't as much danger as I thought."
It did not take him and the officer long to move the box away from its proximity to the fire, for the case was not heavy, though it was of good size, and then the officer having called up an order to some of his fellow seamen on deck, a rope was let down, and the box hoisted up.
"Whew! That was a narrow escape!" exclaimed Tom as he saw his case go up on deck. "I suppose I shouldn't have had that stored here. But there were so many things to think of that I forgot."
"Yes, it was a risk," commented the officer. "But what are you going to do with that sort of stuff, anyhow?"
"I may need it when we get among the wild tribes of South American Indians," answered Tom non-commitally. "I'm much obliged for your help."
"Oh, that's nothing. Anything to save the ship."
At that moment there were confused cries, and a series of shouts and commands up on deck.
"We'd better hurry out of here," said the officer.
"Why?"