The Search for the Silver City

ed, headed for the nearest land, until the water which was being pumped into the hold

forward portion of the hold was a mass of flames which i

ine-room and at the pumps, every one gazed as if fascinated at the clouds of smoke arising from near the bow. Alread

es are flooded. It is too late to cut another hole in the de

crew been

ttend to

during the next hour hardly a word was spoken. Teddy and Neal conversed now and then

he pumps and the throbbing

he heat was so great that the hose burned as fast as it could be pushed through th

, and water sent below in buckets for twenty minut

e and his assistants to clamber up the ladders before the flames had comp

leap in regardless of the previous assignment, for once the fire burst the bo

go the falls, had only thought of reaching the craft in which their property was stowed, and Jake followed; but as the litt

nother; Jake was held responsible for the safety o

ith you, father?

e to make any change now, and you

Jake cried cheerily, and

ny one here, therefore you need not fear an

steer?" the e

n every craft are to be kept at the oars all the time, and, in order to make the work light, they should be relieved hourly. The indications are that the

inued without intermission until all were in a place of safety, and the boats were pulled about a mile from the burni

feeling of sadness which did not arise solely from the fact of their present peril. It seemed to them as if she could understand th

ger," Jake said, as if speaking to

fiery fragments, some of which struck in the immediate vicinity of the boats, and then t

er of the little party had not experienced a f

onger afloat, and their only hope of reaching land was in the tiny boat

and Jake's voice was quite the reverse of steady as h

old on Neal the reptile he

hue over the waters. Mr. Walters' boat had the lantern raised at the bow on the end of an oar where it

ts had drifted farther apart, until the one in charge of Neal's father was nearly half a mile

nce, "and if it should come you must rig up something to serve as a sail, for your only chance of keeping

d around in vain for some sign of the wind,

reckonin' this time, for there is

nsively, and Jake muttered to himself; b

s if it comes out of

loser order the mantle of night had fully fallen, and the location of the othe

ut three sailors on board, and the stock of provisions was correspondingly small. As a natural consequence she rode higher out o

ore it was possible to test

up from the east, and as its first influen

' we can count on striking land without too much work. Lash a couple of coats to the oars,

ll as was the surface presented to the wind, the little bo

ould stretch out at full length in case they felt inclined to sleep, and after they had listened to th

are the

stern. I knew this one c

t we must not separate,"

shorten sail, because there would be nothing left, and we're bou

we never se

the same direction, an' have only got to wai

m feeling comfortable in mind; but, as he had said, nothing differ

n which the sailors uttered from time to time, the boys knew that those who should

de; but it was quickly bailed out, and, as one of the men sai

heir companions were making for life. It was necessary the frail craft should be kept dead before the wind; otherwise she would have been swam

it safe to relax the vigilance, and the constant strain

g Neal awoke, and then he a

ee the oth

ht at sunrise. It isn't possible their l

timidly as he attempted to stand erect; but Jak

wind dies away a bit; we've got more'n we want, and the boat

dangers which beset them, and, clasping each other's hands, they waited in anxious