the volume of smoke seemed to grow instead of diminish. Captain Falcon,
too, was observed to be laboring under a strain.

"I wonder if it is true--as he says--that there is no danger?" observed
Alice, as she, Paul and Ruth walked about uneasily, pausing now and then
to observe the men at work.

"Oh, I think so," answered Paul, quickly. "He would have no object in
deceiving us, and let matters go so long that it would be necessary to
take a risk in getting to the boats. If he did that he might be censured
by the owners. I think he really believes there is no danger. And when he
thinks otherwise he will give us ample warning."

"Let us hope so," murmured Mr. DeVere. "Fire is a terrible
element--terrible, and at sea there is nothing more awful! I trust we may
be spared from it."

"Let's go see if the wireless is working," suggested Ruth. "It will take
our minds off the fire to know that help is being called for--and perhaps
on the way."

"Yes, it is working," announced Alice, as they drew near the quarters
occupied by the wireless operator and heard the spiteful snapping of the
notched wheel of the spark-gap apparatus.

They looked in and saw the operator with the telephone receivers on his
ears, while with nervous fingers he pressed the key that made and broke
the circuit, thus sending out from the wire aerials between the masts the
dots and dashes that, flying through the air, were received on other
aerials and translated from meaningless clicks into words fraught with