from the sight of the passengers on the Belchar, and on such
occasions the frightened screams of women could be heard. Once,
as the smoke cleared away, a woman, with a child in her arms,
giving a backward glance toward the flames that were now
enveloping the stern of the vessel, attempted to leap overboard.

Many hands caught her, however, and all this was registered on
the film of Tom's camera, which was working automatically. As the
two vessels drifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the lens so as to
keep the burning steamer, and the approaching lifeboats, in
focus.

"There's the first rescue!" cried Ned, as the woman who had
attempted to leap overboard, was, with her child, carefully
lowered into a boat. "Did you get that, Tom?"

"I certainly did. This will make a good picture. I think I'll
send it back to Mr. Period as soon as we reach port."

"Maybe you could develop it on board here, and show it. I
understand there's a dark room, and the captain said one of his
officers, who used to be in the moving picture business, had a
reproducing machine."

"Then that's what I'll do!" cried Tom. "I'll have our captain
charge all the Belchar passengers admission, and we'll get up a
fund for the fire sufferers. They'll probably lose all their
baggage."

"That will be great!" exclaimed Ned.