at once they climbed to the perilous place; but scarcely had they reached
it when there was an explosion of gases; the roof heaved and fell in,
carrying with it sixteen men down into a pit of gaseous flame, and a
shriek of horror went up from the fifty thousand people who stood looking
on, unable to give the least assistance to the poor perishing men.

The party from the _Dolphin_ saw it all and were sick with horror. Grace
fainted, and but for the support of her father's arm, quickly thrown about
her, would have fallen to the floor of the platform where they stood. He
held her up, and with the help of Harold and Herbert, hastily pushed his
way through the crowd.

"Lay her down as quickly as you can, captain!" exclaimed Harold; "it is
important."

"Yes, I know," returned Captain Raymond, glancing down at the white,
unconscious face of his precious burden.

But at that instant Grace's eyes opened, and looking up in a bewildered
way into her father's eyes, "Papa, I'm too heavy for you to carry," she
said faintly.

"No, my darling, not at all," he replied. "There, Uncle Harold has
summoned a boat and we will take you back at once to our floating home."

"Am I sick? did I faint, papa?" she asked. "Oh,"--with a burst of tears
and sobs--"I remember now! Oh, those poor, poor men! Papa, were they all
killed?"

"Don't be so distressed, dear child," he said with emotion. "I think they