planet. And on the luster of the great calm waters the _Judea_ glided
imperceptibly, enveloped in languid and unclean vapours, in a lazy cloud
that drifted to leeward, light and slow: a pestiferous cloud defiling
the splendour of sea and sky.

"All this time of course we saw no fire. The cargo smoldered at the
bottom somewhere. Once Mahon, as we were working side by side, said to
me with a queer smile: 'Now, if she only would spring a tidy leak--like
that time when we first left the Channel--it would put a stopper on this
fire. Wouldn't it?' I remarked irrelevantly, 'Do you remember the rats?'

"We fought the fire and sailed the ship too as carefully as though
nothing had been the matter. The steward cooked and attended on us. Of
the other twelve men, eight worked while four rested. Everyone took
his turn, captain included. There was equality, and if not exactly
fraternity, then a deal of good feeling. Sometimes a man, as he dashed
a bucketful of water down the hatchway, would yell out, 'Hurrah for
Bankok!' and the rest laughed. But generally we were taciturn and
serious--and thirsty. Oh! how thirsty! And we had to be careful with the
water. Strict allowance. The ship smoked, the sun blazed. . . . Pass the
bottle.

"We tried everything. We even made an attempt to dig down to the fire.
No good, of course. No man could remain more than a minute below. Mahon,
who went first, fainted there, and the man who went to fetch him out
did likewise. We lugged them out on deck. Then I leaped down to show
how easily it could be done. They had learned wisdom by that time,
and contented themselves by fishing for me with a chain-hook tied to a
broom-handle, I believe. I did not offer to go and fetch up my shovel,
which was left down below.