Part 29 (2/2)

It was after they had been on sh.o.r.e about two hours that Walter, during his idle moments, wandered out from the thicket to see if there had by chance been any change in the steamer's position, and he had not left his companions more than five minutes when they heard him shout:

”Come here, fellows, and see if you can tell what Joe is doing. It looks to me as if there was a big lot of smoke from the galley.”

Not thinking it possible there could be anything wrong on the steamer, neither Jim nor Harry obeyed the summons very quickly, and when five minutes more had elapsed they were yet in the thicket.

”Harry! I'm sure there's some trouble aboard!” he shouted, and this time it was the tone rather than the words which caused them to move quickly.

On arriving where a view of the steamer could be had, Joe and Bob were seen working industriously under the awning; but a thick, black smoke was flowing out of the companion-way. The light breeze carried it sh.o.r.eward; consequently the laborers, from whom it was hidden by the deck-house, were wholly ignorant of what seemed to Walter very alarming.

It did not require many seconds for Jim to make up his mind as to the cause of this unusual vapor, and his face grew pale as he cried sharply:

”The steamer is on fire! Hurry up an' get aboard!” Then as he ran at full speed along the sh.o.r.e he shouted loudly, ”Bob! Bob! Fire! Fire!”

These cries were heard by the workmen before the boys gained the raft, and on glancing sh.o.r.eward the tell-tale smoke was seen.

In an instant both men were forward, and, after stopping only the merest fraction of time to investigate matters, Bob began to draw up water with the deck-bucket, thus giving full confirmation to the fears of those on the raft, who were pulling desperately toward the steamer.

Both men were working with the utmost speed, das.h.i.+ng water into the companion-way, and causing the smoke to rise in yet denser volumes. Only once did either speak, and then when Bob shouted in a hoa.r.s.e voice:

”Hurry on, lads; we'll need all hands at this job if the steamer is to be saved!”

This injunction was unnecessary, for the boys were making every effort to propel the raft at the swiftest possible rate of speed. The water boiled around the forward timbers as if a strong current was setting down toward them, and there was every danger that in their haste the frail craft would be forced asunder.

Long though the time occupied in the pa.s.sage appeared to be when so much might depend upon an early arrival, it was really not more than five minutes from the time the boys left the sh.o.r.e until they were on deck searching for some article in which water could be carried.

With the exception of the two buckets used by Bob and Joe, everything of the kind was in the galley, and after a hurried, frantic search of the cabin and engine-room, the boys went forward empty-handed.

”There isn't so much as a dipper here!” Jim screamed.

”An' it's jes' as well,” Bob replied hoa.r.s.ely, as a volume of flame burst from the companion-way. ”Nothin' less than a fire-engine would do any good now. It's time we saved what'll be needed ash.o.r.e. Knock off, Joe, an' we'll load the raft.”

The engineer was not willing to give up the struggle so easily. He worked like a fury, das.h.i.+ng water on the roaring, leaping flames, which were already sending out long streams on the tar-covered seams; and not until the fire had full possession of the forward portion did he cease his more than useless labors to a.s.sist the others.

Meanwhile Bob and the boys had been throwing bedding, tools, and every article within reach, on the raft. It was not until after they had been thus engaged several moments that any one thought of the treasure in the hold, and then Jim cried more frantically than before:

”The gold! The gold! We _must_ get that out!”

”It'll have to take its chances with the rest!” Bob replied sharply.

”Even if we could get below, the fire would be upon us before the bags were uncovered. Life is worth more than money jes' now.”

Not until everything from the engine-room and cabin which could be of any service ash.o.r.e had been piled up on the raft did Bob pause, and then the flames covered more than two-thirds of the deck. As a matter of course the heaving-line was long since burned from the winch, and nothing held the rude craft which now bore all their worldly possessions but the painter Harry had made fast to the stern-bitt.

”We shall have to swim for it, lads,” Bob said as he s.h.i.+elded his face from the intense heat with his hat. ”The raft is loaded so deep that the weight of one of us would swamp her.”

As he spoke he seized Walter by the waist and leaped overboard, Jim waiting only long enough to ask Harry if he needed any a.s.sistance before following the example.

”Don't bother about me!” Harry replied; and then as the flames came nearer he plunged into the sea, Joe lingering a few seconds longer, as if to take one last look at the little craft he had tried so hard to save.

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