"It was that night at ten that, for the first time since we had been
fighting it, we saw the fire. The speed of the towing had fanned the
smoldering destruction. A blue gleam appeared forward, shining below the
wreck of the deck. It wavered in patches, it seemed to stir and creep
like the light of a glowworm. I saw it first, and told Mahon. 'Then the
game's up,' he said. 'We had better stop this towing, or she will burst
out suddenly fore and aft before we can clear out.' We set up a yell;
rang bells to attract their attention; they towed on. At last Mahon and
I had to crawl forward and cut the rope with an ax. There was no time to
cast off the lashings. Red tongues could be seen licking the wilderness
of splinters under our feet as we made our way back to the poop.

"Of course they very soon found out in the steamer that the rope
was gone. She gave a loud blast of her whistle, her lights were seen
sweeping in a wide circle, she came up ranging close alongside, and
stopped. We were all in a tight group on the poop looking at her. Every
man had saved a little bundle or a bag. Suddenly a conical flame with
a twisted top shot up forward and threw upon the black sea a circle
of light, with the two vessels side by side and heaving gently in its
center. Captain Beard had been sitting on the gratings still and mute
for hours, but now he rose slowly and advanced in front of us, to the
mizzen-shrouds. Captain Nash hailed: 'Come along! Look sharp. I have
mail-bags on board. I will take you and your boats to Singapore.'

"'Thank you! No!' said our skipper. 'We must see the last of the ship.'

"'I can't stand by any longer,' shouted the other. 'Mails--you know.'

"'Ay! ay! We are all right.'