If there has been a collision, you can't do any good, and you needn't hurry so.

Button up warm." We both did that, and then we went up on deck.

There was no one aft, just then, but we could see in the moonlight, which was pretty strong, although the sky was cloudy, that there was quite a crowd of men forward.

We made our way in that direction as fast as we could, in the face of the wind, and when we reached the deck, just in front of the pilot-house, we looked down to the big hatchway, where the freight and baggage were lowered down into the hold, and there we saw what was the matter.
The ship was on fire! The hatchway was not open, but smoke was coming up thick and fast all around it.

A half-dozen men were around a donkey-engine that stood a little forward of the hatch, and others were pulling at hose.