"Keep quiet!" yelled one of the stewards. "It is nothing!"

"It's a fire, I tell you!" insisted the man, and several others took
up the cry.

A panic was imminent, and the captain came running from his
quarters.

"What is it?" he asked.

An officer hurried to his side, and said something but in such a low
voice that Tom, who was standing close beside the two, scarcely
heard it. But he did hear this:

"There's a fire, sir, in hold number seventeen. We have turned the
hose in there, and the pumps are working."

"Very good, Mr. Meld. Now try and quiet the passengers. Tell them it
doesn't amount to much, and if it does we can flood that
compartment."

Tom started at that.

"Come on, Ned!" he cried, grabbing his chum by the arm.

"Why, what's up? What's the matter?"

"Matter? Matter enough! The fire is in the hold where all our stuff
is stored, and if the flames reach that box I packed last--well, I
wouldn't give much for the ship!" and fairly dragging his chum