"It's all over with me this time," he said. "But, I say, I was
right about the cargo?"

And I heard a chuckle as I reached the ladder; but Ready was no
longer in my mind; even Eva was driven out of it, as I stood
aghast on the top-most rung.




CHAPTER III

TO THE WATER'S EDGE


It was not the new panic amidships that froze my marrow; it was
not that the pinnace hung perpendicularly by the fore-tackle, and
had shot out those who had swarmed aboard her before she was
lowered, as a cart shoots a load of bricks. It was bad enough to
see the whole boat-load struggling, floundering, sinking in the sea;
for selfish eyes (and which of us is all unselfish at such a time?)
there was a worse sight yet; for I saw all this across an impassable
gulf of fire.

The quarter-deck had caught: it was in flames to port and starboard
of the flaming hatch; only fore and aft of it was the deck sound to
the lips of that hideous mouth, with the hundred tongues shooting
out and up.

Could I jump it there? I sprang down and looked. It was only a