Not a word was spoken; not a sound was heard but the hoarse whistling of the wind, and the mournful roaring of the flames.

From the centre of the ship, which was hollowed out like a furnace, there issued a column of sooty vapour that ascended to the sky.

All the passengers, and several of the crew, took refuge in the aft-quarters of the poop.

Mrs.Kear was lying senseless on one of the hen-coops, with Miss Herbey sitting passively at her side; M.Letourneur held his son tightly clasped to his bosom.

I saw Falsten calmly consult his watch, and note down the time in his memorandum-book, but I was far from sharing his, composure, for I was overcome by a nervous agitation that I could not suppress.
As far as we knew, Lieutenant Walter, the boatswain, and such of the crew as were not with us, were safe in the bow; but it was impossible to tell how they were faring because the sheet of fire intervened like a curtain, and cut off all communication between stem and stern.
I broke the dismal silence, saying "All over now, Curtis." "No, sir, not yet," he replied, "now that the panel is open we will set to work, and pour water with all our might down into the furnace, and may be, we shall put it out, even yet." "But how can you work your pumps while the deck is burning?
and how can you get at your men beyond that sheet of flame ?" He made no answer to my impetuous questions, and finding that he had nothing more to say, I repeated that it was all over now.
After a pause, he said, "As long as a plank of the ship remains to stand on, Mr.Kazallon, I shall not give up my hope." But the conflagration raged with redoubled fury, the sea around us was lighted with a crimson glow, and the clouds above shone with a lurid glare.