tain？"
"JustbecauseifIhadinformedhim，hewouldnothavetakenthecaseonboard。"
Thewinddroppedforafewseconds;andforabriefin—
tervalIcouldnotcatchwhatpassed;butIcouldseethatFalstencontinuedtoremonstrate，whileRubyansweredbyshrugginghisshoulders。AtlengthIheardFalstensay。
"Well，atanyrate，thecaptainmustbeinformedofthis，andthepackageshallbethrownoverboard。Idon’twanttobeblownup。"
Istarted。Towhatcouldtheengineerbealluding？Evi—
dentlyhehadnottheremotestsuspicionthatthecargowasalreadyonfire。Inanothermomentthewords"picrateofpotash"broughtmetomyfeet，andwithaninvoluntaryimpulseIrusheduptoRuby，andseizedhimbytheshoulder。
"Istherepicrateofpotashonboard？"Ialmostshrieked。
"Yes，"saidFalsten，"acasecontainingthirtypounds。"
"Whereisit？"Icried。
"Downinthehold，withthecargo。"
CHAPTERXI
THEPASSENGERSDISCOVERTHEIRDANGER
WHATmyfeelingswereIcannotdescribe;butitwashardlyinterrorsomuchaswithakindofresignationthatImademywaytoCurtisontheforecastle，andmadehimawarethatthealarmingcharacterofoursituationwasnowcomplete，astherewasenoughexplosivematteronboardtoblowupamountain。Curtisreceivedtheinformationascoollyasitwasdelivered，andafterIhadmadehimac—
quaintedwithalltheparticularssaid，"Notawordofthismustbementionedtoanyoneelse，Mr。Kazallon。WhereisRuby，now？"
"Onthepoop，"Isaid。
"Willyouthencomewithme，sir？"
RubyandFalstenweresittingjustasIhadleftthem。
CurtiswalkedstraightuptoRuby，andaskedhimwhetherwhathehadbeentoldwastrue。
"Yes，quitetrue，"saidRuby，complacently，thinkingthattheworstthatcouldbefallhimwouldbethathemightbeconvictedofalittlesmuggling。
IobservedthatCurtiswasobligedforamomentortwotoclasphishandstightlytogetherbehindhisbacktopre—
venthimselffromseizingtheunfortunatepassengerbythethroat;butsuppressinghisindignation，heproceededquietly，thoughsternly，tointerrogatehimaboutthefactsofthecase。RubyonlyconfirmedwhatIhadalreadytoldhim。
WithcharacteristicAnglo—Saxonincautiousnesshehadbroughtonboard，withtherestofhisbaggage，acasecon—
tainingnolessthanthirtypoundsofpicrate，andhadallowedtheexplosivemattertobestowedintheholdwithaslittlecompunctionasaFrenchmanwouldfeelinsmugglingasinglebottleofwine。Hehadnotinformedthecaptainofthedangerousnatureofthecontentsofthepackage，becausehewasperfectlyawarethathewouldhavebeenrefusedper—
missiontobringthepackageonboard。
"Anyway，"hesaid，withashrugofhisshoulders，"youcan’thangmeforit;andifthepackagegivesyousomuchconcern，youarequiteatlibertytothrowitintothesea。
Myluggageisinsured。"
Iwasbesidemyselfwithfury;andnotbeingendowedwithCurtis’sreticenceandself—control，beforehecouldin—
terferetostopme，Icriedout：
"Youfool！don’tyouknowthatthereisfireonboard？"
InaninstantIregrettedmywords。MostearnestlyI
wishedthemunuttered。Butitwastoolate——theireffectuponRubywaselectrical。Hewasparalyzedwithterror;
hislimbsstiffenedconvulsively;hiseyewasdilated;hegaspedforbreath，andwasspeechless。Allofasuddenhethrewuphisarms，and，asthoughhemomentarilyexpectedanexplosion，hedarteddownfromthepoop，andpacedfranticallyupanddownthedeck，gesticulatinglikeamad—
man，andshouting：
"Fireonboard！Fire！Fire！"
Onhearingtheoutcry，allthecrew，supposingthatthefirehadnowinrealitybrokenout，rushedondeck;therestofthepassengerssoonjoinedthem，andthescenethatensuedwasoneoftheutmostconfusion。Mrs。Kearfelldownsenselessonthedeck，andherhusband，occupiedinlookingafterhimself，lefthertothetendermerciesofMissHerbey。
CurtisendeavoredtosilenceRuby’sravings，whilstI，inasfewwordsasIcould，madeM。Letourneurawareoftheextenttowhichthecargowasonfire。Thefather’sfirstthoughtwasforAndre，buttheyoungmanpreservedanad—
mirablecomposure，andbeggedhisfathernottobealarmed，asthedangerwasnotimmediate。Meanwhilethesailorshadloosenedallthetacklingsofthelong—boat，andwerepre—
paringtolaunchit，whenCurtis’svoicewasheardperemp—
torilybiddingthemtodesist;heassuredthemthatthefirehadmadenofurtherprogress;thatMr。Rubyhadbeenundulyexcitedandnotconsciousofwhathehadsaid;andhepledgedhiswordthatwhentherightmomentshouldar—
rivehewouldallowthemalltoleavetheship;butthatmo—
ment，hesaid，hadnotyetcome。
Atthesoundofavoicewhichtheyhadlearnedtohonorandrespect，thecrewpausedintheiroperations，andthelong—boatremainedsuspendedinitsplace。Fortunately，evenRubyhimselfinthemidstofhisravings，hadnotdroppedawordaboutthepicratethathadbeendepositedinthehold;foralthoughthematehadapoweroverthesailorsthatCaptainHuntlyhadneverpossessed，Ifeelcer—
tainthatifthetruestateofthecasehadbeenknown，noth—
ingonearthwouldhavepreventedsomeofthem，intheirconsternation，fromeffectinganescape。Asitwas，onlyCurtis，Falsten，andmyselfwerecognizantoftheterriblesecret。
Assoonasorderwasrestored，themateandIjoinedFalstenonthepoop，wherehehadremainedthroughoutthepanic，andwherewefoundhimwithfoldedarms，deepinthought，asitmightbe，solvingsomehardmechanicalprob—
lem。Hepromised，atmyrequest，thathewouldrevealnothingofthenewdangertowhichwewereexposedthroughRuby’simprudence。Curtishimselftookthere—
sponsibilityofinformingCaptainHuntlyofourcriticalsituation。
Inordertoinsurecompletesecrecy，itwasnecessarytosecurethepersonoftheunhappyRuby，who，quitebesidehimself，continuedtoraveupanddownthedeckwiththeincessantcryof"Fire！fire！"AccordinglyCurtisgaveor—
derstosomeofhismentoseizehimandgaghim;andbeforehecouldmakeanyresistancethemiserablemanwascapturedandsafelylodgedinconfinementinhisowncabin。
CHAPTERXII
CURTISBECOMESCAPTAIN
OCTOBER22。——Curtishastoldthecaptaineverything;forhepersistsinostensiblyrecognizinghimashissuperiorofficer，andrefusestoconcealfromhimourtruesituation。
CaptainHuntlyreceivedthecommunicationinperfectsilence，andmerelypassinghishandacrosshisforeheadasthoughtobanishsomedistressingthought，re—enteredhiscabinwithoutaword。
Curtis，LieutenantWalter，Falsten，andmyselfhavebeendiscussingthechancesofoursafety，andIamsurprisedtofindwithhowmuchcomposurewecanallsurveyouranx—
iouspredicament。
"Thereisnodoubt，"saidCurtis，"thatwemustabandonallhopeofarrestingthefire;theheattowardthebowhasalreadybecomewell—nighunbearable，andthetimemustcomewhentheflameswillfindaventthroughthedeck。
Iftheseaiscalmenoughforustomakeuseoftheboats，wellandgood;weshallofcoursegetquitoftheshipasquietlyaswecan;if，ontheotherhandtheweathershouldbeadverse，orthewindbeboisterous，wemuststicktoourplace，andcontendwiththeflamestotheverylast;perhaps，afterall，weshallfarefarbetterwiththefireasadeclaredenemythanasahiddenone。"
FalstenandIagreedwithwhathesaid，andIpointedouttohimthathehadquiteoverlookedthefactoftherebeingthirtypoundsofexplosivematterinthehold。
"No，"hegravelyreplied，"Ihavenotforgottenit，butitisacircumstanceofwhichIdonottrustmyselftothink。
Idarenotruntheriskofadmittingairintotheholdbygoingdowntosearchforthepowder，andyetIknownotatwhatmomentitmayexplode。No;itisamatterthatIcan—
nottakeatallintomyreckoning;itmustremaininhigherhandsthanmine。"
Webowedourheadsinasilencewhichwassolemn。Inthepresentstateoftheweather，immediateflightwas，weknew，impossible。
Afterconsiderablepause，Mr。Falsten，ascalmlyasthoughheweredeliveringsomephilosophicdogma，quietlyobserved：
"Theexplosion，ifImayusetheformulaofscience，isnotnecessary，butcontingent。"
"Buttellme，Mr。Falsten，"Iasked，"isitpossibleforpicrateofpotashtoignitewithoutconcussion？"
"Certainlyitis，"repliedtheengineer。"Underordinarycircumstances，picrateofpotashalthoughnotMOREinflam—
mablethancommonpowder，yetpossessestheSAMEdegreeofinflammability。"
Wenowpreparedtogoondeck。Asweleftthesaloon，inwhichwehadbeensitting，Curtisseizedmyhand。
"Oh，Mr。Kazallon，"heexclaimed，"ifyouonlyknewthebitternessoftheagonyIfeelatseeingthisfinevesseldoomedtobedevouredbyflames，andatbeingsopowerlesstosaveher。"Thenquicklyrecoveringhimself，hecontinued：
"ButIamforgettingmyself;you，ifnoother，mustknowwhatIamsuffering。Itisallovernow，"hesaidmorecheerfully。
"Isourconditionquitedesperate？"Iasked。
"Itisjustthis，"heanswereddeliberately，"weareoveramine，andalreadythematchhasbeenappliedtothetrain。
Howlongthattrainmaybe，’tisnotformetosay。"
Andwiththesewordsheleftme。
Theotherpassengers，incommonwiththecrew，arestillinentireignoranceoftheextremityofperiltowhichweareexposed，althoughtheyareallawarethatthereisfireinthehold。Assoonasthefactwasannounced，Mr。Kear，aftercommunicatingtoCurtishisinstructionsthathethoughtheshouldhavethefireimmediatelyextinguished，andintimat—
ingthatheheldhimresponsibleforallcontingenciesthatmighthappen，retiredtohiscabin，wherehehasremainedeversince，fullyoccupiedincollectingandpackingtogetherthemorecherishedarticlesofhispropertyandwithoutthesemblanceofacareorathoughtforhisunfortunatewife，whosecondition，inspiteofherludicrouscomplaints，wastrulypitiable。MissHerbey，however，isunrelaxinginherattentions，andtheunremitteddiligencewithwhichshefulfillsherofficesofduty，commandsmyhighestad—
miration。
OCTOBER23。——Thismorning，CaptainHuntlysentforCurtisintohiscabin，andthematehassincemademeac—
quaintedwithwhatpassedbetweenthem。
"Curtis，"beganthecaptain，hishaggardeyebetrayingonlytooplainlysomementalderangement，"Iamasailor，amInot？"
"Certainly，captain，"wasthepromptacquiescenceofthemate。
"Idonotknowhowitis，"continuedthecaptain，"butIseembewildered;Icannotrecollectanything。ArewenotboundforLiverpool？Ah！yes！ofcourse。Andhavewekeptanortheasterlydirectionsinceweleft？"
"No，sir，accordingtoyourorderswehavebeensailingsoutheast，andhereweareinthetropics。"
"Andwhatisthenameoftheship？"
"TheChancellor，sir。"
"Yes，yes，theChancellor，soitis。Well，Curtis，Ireallycan’ttakeherbacktothenorth。Ihatethesea，theverysightofitmakesmeill，Iwouldmuchrathernotleavemycabin。"
Curtiswentontotellmehowhehadtriedtopersuadehimthatwithalittletimeandcarehewouldsoonrecoverhisindisposition，andfeelhimselfagain;butthecaptainhadin—
terruptedhimbysaying：
"Well，well;weshallseeby—and—by;butforthepresentyoumusttakethisformypositiveorder;youmust，fromthistime，atoncetakethecommandoftheship，andactjustasifIwerenotonboard。Underpresentcircum—
stances，Icandonothing。Mybrainisallinawhirl，youcannottellwhatIamsuffering;"andtheunfortunatemanpressedbothhishandsconvulsivelyagainsthisforehead。
"Iweighedthemattercarefullyforamoment，"addedCurtis，"andseeingwhathisconditiontootrulywas，Iac—
quiescedinallthatherequiredandwithdrew，promisinghimthatallhisordersshouldbeobeyed。"
Afterhearingtheseparticulars，Icouldnothelpremark—
inghowfortunateitwasthatthecaptainhadresignedofhisownaccord，foralthoughhemightnotbeactuallyin—
sane，itwasveryevidentthathisbrainwasinaverymorbidcondition。
"Isucceededhimataverycriticalmoment，"saidCurtisthoughtfully;"butIshallendeavortodomyduty。"
Ashorttimeafterwardhesentforhisboatswainandor—
deredhimtoassemblethecrewatthefootofthemain—mast。
Assoonasthemenweretogether，headdressedthemverycalmly，butveryfirmly。
"Mymen，"hesaid，"IhavetotellyouthatCaptainHuntly，onaccountofthedangeroussituationinwhichcir—
cumstanceshaveplacedus，andforotherreasonsknowntomyself，hasthoughtrighttoresignhiscommandtome。
Fromthistimeforward，Iamcaptainofthisvessel。"
Thusquietlyandsimplywasthechangeeffected，andwehavethesatisfactionofknowingthattheChancellorisnowunderthecommandofaconscientious，energeticman，whowillshirknothingthathebelievestobeforourcommongood。M。Letourneur，Andre，Mr。Falsten，andmyselfim—
mediatelyofferedhimourbestwishes，inwhichLieutenantWalterandtheboatswainmostcordiallyjoined。
Theshipstillholdshercoursesouthwest，andCurtiscrowdsonallsailandmakesasspeedilyaspossibleforthenearestoftheLesserAntilles。
CHAPTERXIII
BETWEENFIREANDWATER
OCTOBER24to29。——Forthelastfivedaystheseahasbeenveryheavy，andalthoughtheChancellorsailswithwindandwaveinherfavor，yetherprogressisconsiderablyim—
peded。Hereonboardthisveritablefire—shipIcannothelpcontemplatingwithalongingeyethisvastoceanthatsur—
roundsus。Thewatersupplyshouldbeallweneed。
"Whynotborethedeck？"IsaidtoCurtis。"Whynotadmitthewaterbytonsintothehold？Whatcouldbetheharm？Thefirewouldbequenched;andwhatwouldbeeasierthantopumpthewateroutagain？"
"Ihavealreadytoldyou，Mr。Kazallon，"saidCurtis，"thattheverymomentweadmittheair，theflameswillrushforthtotheverytopofthemasts。No;wemusthavecour—
ageandpatience;wemustwait。Thereisnothingwhatevertobedone，excepttocloseeveryaperture。"
Thefirecontinuedtoprogressevenmorerapidlythanwehadhithertosuspected。Theheatgraduallydrovethepas—
sengersnearlyallondeck，andthetwosterncabins，lighted，asIsaid，bytheirwindowsintheaft—boardweretheonlyquartersbelowthatwereinhabitable。OftheseMrs。Kearoccupiedone，andCurtisreservedtheotherforRuby，who，aravingmaniac，hadtobekeptrigidlyunderrestraint。I
wentdownoccasionallytoseehim，butinvariablyfoundhiminastateofabjectterror，utteringhorribleshrieks，asthoughpossessedwiththeideathathewasbeingscorchedbythemostexcruciatingheat。
Onceortwice，too，Ilookedinupontheex—captain。Hewasalwayscalmandspokequiterationallyonanysubjectexcepthisownprofession;butinconnectionwiththathepratedawaythemerestnonsense。Hesufferedgreatly，butsteadilydeclinedallmyoffersofattention，andpertina—
ciouslyrefusedtoleavehiscabin。
To—day，anacrid，nauseatingsmokemadeitswaythroughthepanelingsthatpartitionoffthequartersofthecrew。AtonceCurtisorderedthepartitiontobeenvelopedinwettar—
paulin，butthefumespenetratedeventhis，andfilledthewholeneighborhoodoftheship’sbowswithareekingvaporthatwaspositivelystifling。Aswelistened，too，wecouldhearadullrumblingsound，butwewereasmystifiedasevertocomprehendwheretheaircouldhaveenteredthatwasevidentlyfanningtheflames。Onlytoocertainly，itwasnowbecomingaquestionnotofdaysnorevenofhoursbeforewemustbepreparedforthefinalcatastrophe。Theseawasstillrunninghigh，andescapebytheboatswasplainlyimpossible。Fortunately，asIhavesaid，themain—
mastandthemizzenareofiron;otherwisethegreatheatattheirbasewouldlongagohavebroughtthemdownandourchancesofsafetywouldhavebeenverymuchimperiled;
butbycrowdingonsailtheChancellorinthefullnortheastwindcontinuedtomakeherwaywithundiminishedspeed。
Itisnowafortnightsincethefirewasfirstdiscovered，andtheproperworkingoftheshiphasgraduallybecomeamoreandmoredifficultmatter。Evenwiththickshoesanyattempttowalkupondeckuptotheforecastlewassoonim—
practicable，andthepoop，simplybecauseitsflooriselevatedsomewhatabovethelevelofthehold，isnowtheonlyavail—
ablestanding—place。Waterbegantoloseitseffectuponthescorchedandshrivelingplanks;theresinoozedoutfromtheknotsinthewood，theseamsburstopen，andthetar，meltedbytheheat，followedtherollingsofthevessel，andformedfantasticpatternsaboutthedeck。
Thentocompleteourperplexity，thewindshiftedsud—
denlyroundtothenorthwest，whenceitblewaperfecthur—
ricane。TonopurposedidCurtisdoeverythinginhispowertobringtheshipahull;everyeffortwasinvain;theChancellorcouldnotbearhertrysail，sotherewasnothingtobedonebuttolethergowiththewind，anddriftfurtherandfurtherfromthelandforwhichwearelongingsoeagerly。
To—day，the29th，thetempestseemedtoreachitsheight;
thewavesappearedtousmountainshigh，anddashedthespraymostviolentlyacrossthedeck。Aboatcouldnotliveamomentinsuchasea。
Oursituationisterrible。Weallwaitinsilence，somefewontheforecastle，thegreatproportionofusonthepoop。Asforthepicrate，forthetimewehavequitefor—
gottenitsexistence;indeeditmightalmostseemasthoughitsexplosionwouldcomeasarelief，fornocatastrophe，how—
everterrible，couldfarexceedthetortureofoursuspense。
Whilehehadstilltheremainingchance，Curtisrescuedfromthestore—roomsuchfewprovisionsastheheatofthecompartmentallowedhimtoobtain;andalotofcasesofsaltmeatandbiscuits，acaskofbrandy，somebarrelsoffreshwater，togetherwithsomesailsandwraps，acompassandotherinstrumentsarenowlyingpackedinamassallreadyforpromptremovaltotheboatswheneverweshallbeobligedtoleavetheship。
Abouteighto’clockintheevening，anoiseisheard，dis—
tinctevenabovetheragingofthehurricane。Thepanelsofthedeckareupheaved，andvolumesofblacksmokeissueup—
wardasiffromasafety—valve。Auniversalconsternationseizesoneandall;wemustleavethevolcanowhichisabouttoburstbeneathourfeet。ThecrewruntoCurtisforor—
ders。Hehesitates;looksfirstatthehugeandthreateningwaves;looksthenattheboats。Thelong—boatisthere，sus—
pendedrightalongthecenterofthedeck;butitisimpos—
sibletoapproachitnow;theyawl，however，hoistedonthestarboardside，andthewhale—boatsuspendedaft，arestillavailable。Thesailorsmakefranticallyfortheyawl。
"Stop，stop，"shoutsCurtis;"doyoumeantocutoffourlastandonlychanceofsafety？Wouldyoulaunchaboatinsuchaseaasthis？"
Afewofthem，withOwenattheirhead，givenoheedtowhathesays。Rushingtothepoop，andseizingacutlass，Curtisshoutsagain：
"Touchthetacklingofthedavit，oneofyou;onlytouchit，andI’llcleaveyourskull。"
Awedbyhisdeterminedmanner，themenretire，someclamberingintotheshrouds，whileothersmounttotheverytopofthemasts。
Ateleveno’clock，severalloudreportsareheard，causedbytheburstingasunderofthepartitionsofthehold。Cloudsofsmokeissuefromthefront，followedbyalongtongueoflambentflamethatseemstoencirclethemizzen—mast。ThefirenowreachestothecabinofMrs。Kear，who，shriekingwildly，isbroughtondeckbyMissHerbey。Amomentmore，andSilasHuntlymakeshisappearance，hisfaceallblackenedwiththegrimysmoke;hebowstoCurtis，ashepasses，andthenproceedsinthecalmestmannertomounttheaft—shrouds，andinstallshimselfattheverytopofthemizzen。
ThesightofHuntlyrecallstomyrecollectiontheprisonerstillbelow，andmyfirstimpulseistorushtothestaircaseanddowhatIcantosethimfree。Butthemaniachasal—
readyeludedhisconfinement，andwithsingedhairandhisclothesalreadyalight，rushesupondeck。Likeasal—
amanderhepassesacrosstheburningdeckwithunscathedfeet，andglidesthroughthestiflingsmokewithunchokedbreath。Notasoundescapeshislips。
Anotherloudreport;thelong—boatisshiveredintofrag—
ments;themiddlepanelburststhetarpaulinthatcoveredit，andastreamoffire，freeatlengthfromtherestraintthathadheldit，riseshalf—masthigh。
"Thepicrate！thepicrate！"shrieksthemadman;"weshallallbeblownup！thepicratewillblowusallup。"
Andinaninstant，beforewecangetnearhim，hehasburiedhimself，throughtheopenhatchway，downintothefieryfurnacebelow。
CHAPTERXIV
BREAKERSTOSTARBOARD！
OCTOBER20。——Night。——Thescene，asnightcameon，wasterribleindeed。Notwithstandingthedesperatenessofoursituation，however，therewasnotoneofussoparalyzedbyfear，butthatwefullyrealizedthehorrorofitall。
PoorRuby，indeed，islostandgone，buthislastwordswereproductiveofseriousconsequences。Thesailorscaughthiscryof"Picrate，picrate！"andbeingthusforthefirsttimemadeawareofthetruenatureoftheirperil，theyresolvedateveryhazardtoaccomplishtheirescape。Besidethemselveswithterror，theyeitherdidnot，orwouldnot，seethatnoboatcouldbravethetremendouswavesthatwereragingaround，andaccordinglytheymadeafranticrushto—
wardtheyawl。Curtisagainmadeavigorousendeavortopreventthem，butthistimeallinvain;Owenurgedthemon，andalreadythetacklingwasloosened，sothattheboatwasswungovertotheship’sside。Foramomentithungsus—
pendedinmid—air，andthen，withafinaleffortfromthesailors，itwasquicklyloweredintothesea。Butscarcelyhadittouchedthewater，whenitwascaughtbyanenor—
mouswavewhich，recoilingwithresistlessviolence，dashedittoatomsagainsttheChancellor’sside。
Themenstoodaghast;theyweredumbfounded。Long—
boatandyawlbothgone，therewasnothingnowremainingtousbutasmallwhale—boat。Notawordwasspoken;
notasoundwasheardbutthehoarsewhistlingofthewind，andthemournfulroaringoftheflames。Fromthecenteroftheship，whichwashollowedoutlikeafurnace，thereissuedacolumnofsootyvaporthatascendedtothesky。
Allthepassengers，andseveralofthecrew，tookrefugeintheaft—quartersofthepoop。Mrs。Kearwaslyingsense—
lessononeofthehen—coops，withMissHerbeysittingpas—
sivelyatherside;M。Letourneurheldhissontightlyclaspedtohisbosom。IsawFalstencalmlyconsulthiswatch，andnotedownthetimeinhismemorandum—book，butIwasfarfromsharinghiscomposure，forIwasovercomebyanervousagitationthatIcouldnotsuppress。
Asfarasweknew，LieutenantWalter，theboatswain，andsuchofthecrewaswerenotwithus，weresafeinthebow;butitwasimpossibletotellhowtheywerefaring，be—
causethesheetoffireintervenedlikeacurtain，andcutoffallcommunicationbetweenstemandstern。
Ibrokethedismalsilence，saying，"AllovernowCurtis。"
"No，sir，notyet，"hereplied，"nowthatthepanelisopenwewillsettowork，andpourwaterwithallourmightdownintothefurnace，andmaybe，weshallputitout，evenyet。"
"Buthowcanyouworkyourpumpswhilethedeckisburning？andhowcanyougetatyourmenbeyondthatsheetofflame？"
Hemadenoanswertomyimpetuousquestions，andfind—
inghehadnothingmoretosay，Irepeatedthatitwasallovernow。
Afterapause，hesaid，"Aslongasaplankoftheshipremainstostandon，Mr。Kazallon，Ishallnotgiveupmyhope。"
Buttheconflagrationragedwithredoubledfury，theseaarounduswaslightedwithacrimsonglow，andthecloudsaboveshonewithaluridglare。Longjetsoffiredartedacrossthehatchways，andwewereforcedtotakerefugeonthetaffrailattheextremeendofthepoop。Mrs。Kearwaslaidinthewhale—boatthathungfromthestern。MissHerbeypersistingtothelastinretainingherpostbyherside。
Nopencouldadequatelyportraythehorrorsofthisfear—
fulnight。TheChancellorunderbarepoles，wasdriven，likeagiganticfire—shipwithfrightfulvelocityacrosstheragingocean;herveryspeedasitwere，makingcommoncausewiththehurricanetofanthefirethatwasconsumingher。Soontherecouldbenoalternativebetweenthrowingourselvesintothesea，orperishingintheflames。
Butwhere，allthistime，wasthepicrate？Perhaps，afterall，Rubyhaddeceivedusandtherewasnovolcano，suchaswedreaded，belowourfeet。
Athalf—pasteleven，whenthetempestseemsatitsveryheight，thereisheardapeculiarroardistinguishableevenabovethecrashoftheelements。Thesailorsinaninstantrecognizeitsimport。
"Breakerstostarboard！"isthecry。
Curtisleapsontothenetting，castsarapidglanceatthesnow—whitebillows，andturningtothehelmsmanshoutswithallhismight，"Starboardthehelm！"
Butitistoolate。Thereisasuddenshock;theshipiscaughtupbyanenormouswave;sherisesuponherbeamends;severaltimesshestrikestheground;themizzen—mastsnapsshortofflevelwiththedeck，fallsintothesea，andtheChancellorismotionless。
CHAPTERXV
SHIPWRECKED
THEnightofthe29thcontinued。——Itwasnotyetmid—
night;thedarknesswasmostprofound，andwecouldseenothing。ButwasitprobablethatwehadstrandedonthecoastofAmerica？
Veryshortlyaftertheshiphadthuscometoastand—stillaclankingofchainswasheardproceedingfromherbows。
"Thatiswell，"saidCurtis;"Walterandtheboatswainhavecastboththeanchors。Letushopetheywillhold。"
Then，clingingtothenetting，heclamberedalongthestarboardside，onwhichtheshiphadheeled，asfarastheflameswouldallowhim。Heclungtotheholdfastsoftheshrouds，andinspiteoftheheavyseasthatdashedagainstthevesselhemaintainedhispositionforaconsiderabletime，evidentlylisteningtosomesoundthathadcaughthisearinthemidstofthetempest。Inaboutaquarterofanhourhereturnedtothepoop。
"Heavenbepraised！"hesaid，"thewateriscomingin，andperhapsmaygetthebetterofthefire。"
"True，"saidI，"butwhatthen？"
"That，"hereplied，"isaquestionforbye—and—bye。Wecanthinknowonlyofthepresent。"
AlreadyIfanciedthattheviolenceoftheflameswassomewhatabated，andthatthetwoopposingelementswereinfiercecontention。Someplankintheship’ssidewasevidentlystovein，admittingfreepassageforthewaves。
Buthow，whenthewaterhadmasteredthefire，shouldwebeabletomasterthewater？Ournaturalcoursewouldbetousethepumps，butthese，intheverymidstofthecon—
flagration，werequiteunavailable。
Forthreelonghours，inanxioussuspense，wewatched，andwaited。Wherewewerewecouldnottell。Onethingalonewascertain;thetidewasebbingbeneathus，andthewaveswererelaxingintheirviolence。Onceletthefirebeextinguished，andthen，perhaps，therewouldberoomtohopethatthenexthightidewouldsetusafloat。
Towardhalf—pastfourinthemorningthecurtainoffireandsmoke，whichhadshutoffcommunicationbetweenthetwoextremitiesoftheship，becamelessdense，andwecouldfaintlydistinguishthatpartyofthecrewwhohadtakenrefugeintheforecastle;andbeforelong，althoughitwasimpracticabletostepuponthedeck，thelieutenantandtheboatswaincontrivedtoclamberoverthegunwale，alongtherails，andjoinedCurtisonthepoop。
Heretheyheldaconsultation，towhichIwasadmitted。
Theywereallofopinionthatnothingcouldbedoneuntildaylightshouldgiveussomethingofanideaofouractualposition。Ifwethenfoundthatwewereneartheshore，wewould，weatherpermitting，endeavortoland，eitherintheboatoruponaraft。If，ontheotherhand，nolandwereinsight，andtheChancellorwereascertainedtobestrandedonsomeisolatedreef，allwecoulddowouldbetogetherafloat，andputherintoconditionforreachingthenearestcoast。Curtistoldusthatitwaslongsincehehadbeenabletotakeanyobservationoflatitude，buttherewasnodoubtthenorthwestwindhaddrivenusfartothesouth;
andhethought，ashewasignorantoftheexistenceofanyreefinthispartoftheAtlantic，thatitwasjustpossiblethatwehadbeendrivenontothecoastofsomeportionofSouthAmerica。
Iremindedhimthatwewereinmomentaryexpectationofanexplosion，andsuggestedthatitwouldbeadvisabletoabandontheshipandtakerefugeonthereef。Buthewouldnothearofsuchaproceeding，saidthatthereefwouldprobablybecoveredathightide，andpersistedintheoriginalresolution，thatnodecidedactioncouldbetakenbeforethedaylightappeared。
Iimmediatelyreportedthisdecisionofthecaptaintomyfellow—passengers。NoneofthemseemedtorealizethenewdangertowhichtheChancellormaybeexposedbybe—
ingcastuponanunknownreef，hundredsofmilesitmaybefromland。Allareforthetimepossessedwithoneidea，onehope;andthatis，thatthefiremaynowbequenchedandtheexplosionaverted。
Andcertainlytheirhopesseeminafairwayofbeingful—
filled。Alreadytheragingflamesthatpouredforthfromthehatcheshavegivenplacetodenseblacksmoke，andal—
thoughoccasionallysomefierystreaksdartacrosstheduskyfumes，yettheyareinstantlyextinguished。Thewavesaredoingwhatpumpsandbucketscouldneverhaveeffected;
bytheirinundationtheyaresteadilystiflingthefirewhichwasassteadilyspreadingtothewholebulkofthe1，700
balesofcotton。
CHAPTERXVI
SILASHUNTLYRESCUEDFROMTHEWAVES
OCTOBER30。——Atthefirstgleamofdaylightweeagerlyscannedthesouthernandwesternhorizons，butthemorn—
ingmistslimitedourview。Landwasnowheretobeseen。
Thetidewasnowalmostatitslowestebb，andthecolorofthefewpeaksofrockthatjutteduparoundusshowedthatthereefonwhichwehadstrandedwasofbasalticformation。TherewerenowonlyaboutsixfeetofwateraroundtheChancellor，thoughwithafullfreightshedrawsaboutfifteen。Itwasremarkablehowfarshehadbeencarriedontotheshelfofrock，butthenumberoftimesthatshehadtouchedthebottombeforeshefinallyranagroundleftusnodoubtthatshehadbeenliftedupandbornealongonthetopofanenormouswave。Shenowlieswithhersternconsiderablyhigherthanherbows，apositionwhichrenderswalkinguponthedeckanythingbutaneasymatter，moreoverasthetiderecededsheheeledoversomuchtolar—
boardthatatonetimeCurtisfearedshewouldaltogethercapsize;thatfear，however，sincethetidehasreacheditslowestmark，hashappilyprovedgroundless。
Atsixo’clocksomeviolentblowswerefeltagainsttheship’sside，andatthesametimeavoicewasdistinguished，shoutingloudly，"Curtis！Curtis！"Followingthedirec—
tionofthecrieswesawthatthebrokenmizzen—mastwasbeingwashedagainstthevessel，andintheduskymorningtwilightwecouldmakeoutthefigureofamanclingingtotherigging。Curtis，attheperilofhislife，hastenedtobringthemanonboard。ItprovedtobenoneotherthanSilasHuntly，who，afterbeingcarriedoverboardwiththemast，hadthus，almostbyamiracle，escapedawaterygrave。
Withoutawordofthankstohisdeliverer，theex—captain，passive，likeanautomaton，passedonandtookhisseatinthemostsecludedcornerofthepoop。Thebrokenmizzenmay，perhaps，beofservicetousatsomefuturetime，andwiththatideaithasbeenrescuedfromthewavesandlashedsecurelytothestern。
Bythistimeitwaslightenoughtoseeforadistanceofthreemilesround;butasyetnothingcouldbediscernedtomakeusthinkthatwewerenearacoast。Thelineofbreakersranforaboutamilefromsouthwesttonortheast，andtwohundredfathomstothenorthoftheshipanir—
regularmassofrocksformedasmallislet。Thisisletroseaboutfiftyfeetabovethesea，andwasconsequentlyabovethelevelofthehighesttides;whileasortofcauseway，availableatlowwater，wouldenableustoreachtheisland，ifnecessityrequired。Buttherethereefended;beyondittheseaagainresumeditssomberhue，betokeningdeepwater。Inallprobability，then，thiswasasolitaryshoal，unattachedtoashore，andthegloomofabitterdisappoint—
mentbegantoweighuponourspirits。
Inanotherhourthemistshadtotallydisappeared，anditwasbroaddaylight。IandM。LetourneurstoodwatchingCurtisashecontinuedeagerlytoscanthewesternhorizon。
Astonishmentwaswrittenonhiscountenance;tohimitappearedperfectlyincrediblethat，afterourcourseforsolonghadbeenduesouthfromtheBermudas，nolandshouldbeinsight。Butnotaspeck，howeverminute，broketheclearly—definedlinethatjoinedseaandsky。AfteratimeCurtismadehiswayalongthenettingtotheshrouds，andswunghimselfquicklyuptothetopofthemainmast。Forseveralminutesheremainedthereexaminingtheopenspacearound，thenseizingoneofthebackstaysheglideddownandrejoinedusonthepoop。
"Nolandinsight，"hesaid，inanswertooureagerlooks。
AtthispointMr。Kearinterposed，andinagruff，ill—
temperedtone，askedCurtiswherewewere。Curtisrepliedthathedidnotknow。
"Youdon’tknow，sir？ThenallIcansayisthatyououghttoknow！"exclaimedthepetroleummerchant。
"Thatmaybe，sir;butatpresentIamasignorantofourwhereaboutsasyouareyourself，"saidCurtis。
"Well，"saidMr。Kear，"justpleasetoknowthatI
don’twanttostayforeveronyoureverlastingship，soI
begyouwillmakehasteandstartoffagain。"
Curtiscondescendedtomakenootherreplythanashrugoftheshoulders，andturningawayheinformedM。Letour—
neurandmyselfthatifthesuncameoutheintendedtotakeitsaltitudeandfindouttowhatpartoftheoceanwehadbeendriven。
Hisnextcarewastodistributepreservedmeatandbiscuitamongthepassengersandcrewalreadyhalffaintingwithhungerandfatigue，andthenhesettoworktodevisemeas—
uresforsettingtheshipafloat。
Theconflagrationwasgreatlyabated;noflamesnowap—
peared，andalthoughsomeblacksmokestillissuedfromtheinterior，yetitsvolumewasfarlessthanbefore。Thefirststepwastodiscoverhowmuchwaterhadenteredthehold。Thedeckwasstilltoohottowalkupon;butaftertwohours’irrigationtheboardsbecamesufficientlycoolfortheboatswaintoproceedtotakesomesoundings，andheshortlyafterwardannouncedthattherewerefivefeetofwaterbelow。Thisthecaptaindeterminedshouldnotbepumpedoutatpresent，ashewanteditthoroughlytodoitsdutybeforehegotridofit。
Thenextsubjectforconsiderationwaswhetheritwouldbeadvisabletoabandonthevessel，andtotakerefugeonthereef。Curtisthoughtnot;andthelieutenantandtheboatswainagreedwithhim。Thechancesofanexplosionweregreatlydiminished，asithadbeenascertainedthatthewaterhadreachedthatpartoftheholdinwhichRuby’sluggagehadbeendeposited;while，ontheotherhand，intheeventofroughweather，ourpositionevenuponthemostelevatedpointsofrockmightbeverycritical。Itwasac—
cordinglyresolvedthatbothpassengersandcrewweresaf—
estonboard。
Actinguponthisdecisionweproceededtomakeakindofencampmentonthepoop，andafewmattressesthatwererescueduninjuredhavebeengivenupfortheuseofthetwoladies。Suchofthecrewashadsavedtheirhammockshavebeentoldtoplacethemundertheforecastlewheretheywouldhavetostowthemselvesasbesttheycould，theirordinaryquartersbeingabsolutelyuninhabitable。
Fortunately，althoughthestore—roomhasbeenconsider—
ablyexposedtotheheat，itscontentsarenotveryseriouslydamaged，andallthebarrelsofwaterandthegreaterpartoftheprovisionsarequiteintact。Thestockofsparesails，whichhadbeenpackedawayinfront，isalsofreefromin—
jury。Thewindhasdroppedconsiderablysincetheearlymorning，andtheswellintheseaisfarlessheavy。Onthewholeourspiritsarerevivingandwebegintothinkwemayyetfindawayoutofourtroubles。
M。Letourneur，hisson，andI，havejusthadalongcon—
versationabouttheship’sofficers。Weconsidertheircon—
duct，underthelatetryingcircumstances，tohavebeenmostexemplary，andtheircourage，energy，andendurancetohavebeenbeyondallpraise。LieutenantWalter，theboat—
swain，andDowlasthecarpenterhaveallalikedistinguishedthemselves，andmadeusfeelthattheyarementobereliedon。AsforCurtis，wordscanscarcelybefoundtoexpressouradmirationofhischaracter;heisthesameashehaseverbeen，theverylifeofhiscrew，cheeringthemonbywordorgesture;findinganexpedientforeverydifficulty，andalwaysforemostineveryaction。
Thetideturnedatseventhismorning，andbyelevenalltherocksweresubmerged，noneofthembeingvisibleex—
cepttheclusterofthosewhichformedtherimofasmallandalmostcircularbasinfrom230to300feetindiameter，inthenorthangleofwhichtheshipislying。Asthetiderosethewhitebreakersdisappeared，andthesea，fortunatelyfortheChancellor，wasprettycalm;otherwisethedashingofthewavesagainsthersides，assheliesmotionless，mighthavebeenattendedbyseriousconsequences。
Asmightbesupposed，theheightofthewaterintheholdincreasedwiththetidefromfivefeettonine;butthiswasratheramatterofcongratulation，inasmuchasitsufficedtoinundateanotherlayerofcotton。
Athalf—pasteleventhesun，whichhadbeenbehindthecloudssinceteno’clock，brokeforthbrightly。Thecaptain，whohadalreadyinthemorningbeenabletocalculateanhoraryangle，nowpreparedtotakethemeridianaltitude，andsucceededatmiddayinmakinghisobservationmostsatisfactorily。Afterretiringforashorttimetocalculatetheresult，hereturnedtothepoopandannouncedthatweareinlat。18deg。5’N。andlong。45deg。53’W。，butthatthereefonwhichweareagroundisnotmarkedonthecharts。Theonlyexplanationthatcanbegivenfortheomissionisthattheisletmustbeofrecentformation，andhasbeencausedbysomesubterraneanvolcanicdisturbance。Butwhatevermaybethesolutionofthemystery，hereweare800milesfromland;forsuch，onconsultingthemap，wefindtobetheactualdistancetothecoastofGuiana，whichisthenear—
estshore。Suchisthepositiontowhichwehavebeenbrought，inthefirstplace，byHuntly’ssenselessobstinacy，and，secondly，bythefuriousnorthwestgale。
Yet，afterall，thecaptain’scommunicationdoesnotdis—
heartenus。AsIsaidbefore，ourspiritsarereviving。Wehaveescapedtheperiloffire;thefearofexplosionispastandgone：andobliviousofthefactthattheshipwithaholdfullofwaterisonlytoolikelytofounderwhensheputsouttosea，wefeelaconfidenceinthefuturethatfor—
bidsustodespond。
MeanwhileCurtispreparestodoallthatcommonsensedemands。Heproposes，whenthefireisquiteextinguished，tothrowoverboardthewhole，orthegreaterportionofthecargo，including，ofcourse，thepicrate;hewillnextpluguptheleak，andthen，withalightenedship，hewilltakead—
vantageofthefirsthightidetoquitthereefasspeedilyaspossible。
CHAPTERXVII
M。LETOURNEURISPESSIMISTIC
OCTOBER30。——OnceagainItalkedtoM。Letourneuraboutoursituation，andendeavoredtoanimatehimwiththehopethatweshouldnotbedetainedforlonginourpresentpre—
dicament;buthecouldnotbebroughttotakeaverysan—
guineviewofourprospects。
"Butsurely，"Iprotested，"itwillnotbedifficulttothrowoverboardafewhundredbalesofcotton;twoorthreedaysatmostwillsufficeforthat。"
"Likelyenough，"hereplied，"whenthebusinessisoncebegun;butyoumustremember，Mr。Kazallon，thattheveryheartofthecargoisstillsmoldering，andthatitwillstillbeseveraldaysbeforeanyonewillbeabletoventureintothehold。Thentheleak，too，thathastobecaulked;and，un—
lessitisstoppedupveryeffectually，weshallonlybedoomedmostcertainlytoperishatsea。Don’tthen，bedeceivingyourself;itmustbethreeweeksatleastbeforeyoucanex—
pecttoputouttosea。Icanonlyhopemeanwhilethattheweatherwillcontinuepropitious;itwouldn’ttakemanystormstoknocktheChancellor，shatteredassheis，com—
pletelyintopieces。"
Here，then，wasthesuggestionofanewdangertowhichweweretobeexposed;thefiremightbeextinguished，thewatermightbegotridofbythepumps，but，afterall，wemustbeatthemercyofthewindandwaves;and，althoughtherockyislandmightaffordatemporaryrefugefromthetempest，whatwastobecomeofpassengersandcrewifthevesselshouldbereducedtoatotalwreck？Imadenoremonstrance，however，tothisviewofourcase，butmerelyaskedM。LetourneurifhehadconfidenceinRobertCurtis？
"Perfectconfidence，"heanswered;"andIacknowledgeitmostgratefully，asaprovidentialcircumstance，thatCap—
tainHuntlyhadgivenhimthecommandintime。What—
evermancandoIknowthatCurtiswillnotleaveundonetoextricateusfromourdilemma。"
PromptedbythisconversationwithM。LetourneurI
tookthefirstopportunityoftryingtoascertainfromCurtishimselfhowlonghereckonedweshouldbeobligedtore—
mainuponthereef;buthemerelyreplied，thatitmustde—
penduponcircumstances，andthathehopedtheweatherwouldcontinuefavorable。Fortunatelythebarometerisrisingsteadily，andthereiseverysignofaprolongedcalm。
MeantimeCurtisistakingactivemeasuresfortotallyextinguishingthefire。Heisatnogreatpainstosparethecargo，andasthebalesthatliejustabovethelevelofthewaterarestilla—lighthehasresortedtotheexpedientofthoroughlysaturatingtheupperlayersofthecotton，inorderthatthecombustionmaybestifledbetweenthemois—
turedescendingfromaboveandthatascendingfrombelow。
Thisschemehasbroughtthepumpsoncemoreintorequisi—
tion。Atpresentthecrewareadequatetothetaskofwork—
ingthem，butIandsomeofourfellow—passengersarereadytoofferourassistancewheneveritshallbenecessary。
Withnoimmediatedemanduponourlabor，wearethrownuponourownresourcesforpassingourtime。M。
Letourneur，Andre，andmyself，havefrequentconversa—
tions;Ialsodevoteanhourortwotomydiary。Falstenholdslittlecommunicationwithanyofus，butremainsab—
sorbedinhiscalculations，andamuseshimselfbytracingmechanicaldiagramswithground—plan，section，elevation，allcomplete。Itwouldbeahappyinspirationifhecouldinventsomemightyenginethatcouldsetusallafloatagain。
Mr。andMrs。Kear，too，holdthemselvesalooffromtheirfellow—passengers，andwearenotsorrytoberelievedfromthenecessityoflisteningtotheirincessantgrumbling;un—
fortunately，however，theycarryoffMissHerbeywiththem，sothatweenjoylittleornothingoftheyounglady’ssociety。
AsforSilasHuntly，hehasbecomeacompletenonen—
tity;heexists，itistrue，butmerely，itwouldseem，tovegetate。
Hobart，thesteward，anobsequious，slysortoffellow，goesthroughhisroutineofdutiesjustasthoughthevesselwerepursuingherordinarycourse;and，asusual，iscon—
tinuallyfallingoutwithJynxstrop，thecook，animpudent，ill—favorednegro，whointerfereswiththeothersailorsinamannerwhich，Ithink，oughtnottobeallowed。
Sinceitappearslikelythatweshallhaveabundanceoftimeonourhands，IhaveproposedtoM。Letourneurandhissonthatweshalltogetherexplorethereefonwhichwearestranded。Itisnotveryprobablethatweshallbeabletodiscovermuchabouttheoriginofthisstrangeaccumula—
tionofrocks，yettheattemptwillatleastoccupyusforsomehours，andwillrelieveusfromthemonotonyofourconfinementonboard。Besides，asthereefisnotmarkedinanyofthemaps，Icouldnotbutbelievethatitwouldberenderingaservicetohydrographyifweweretotakeanaccurateplanoftherocks，ofwhichCurtiscouldafterwardverifythetruepositionbyasecondobservationmadewithacloserprecisionthantheonehehasalreadytaken。
M。Letourneuragreestomyproposal，Curtishaspromisedtoletushavetheboatandsomesounding—lines，andtoallowoneofthesailorstoaccompanyus;soto—morrowmorning，wehopetomakeourlittlevoyageofinvestigation。
CHAPTERXVIII
WEEXPLORETHEREEF
OCTOBER31toNovember5。——Ourfirstproceedingonthemorningofthe31stwastomaketheproposedtourofthereef，whichisaboutaquarterofamilelong。Withtheaidofoursounding—lineswefoundthatthewaterwasdeep，rightuptotheveryrocks，andthatnoshelvingshorespreventeduscoastingalongthem。Therewasnotashadowofdoubtastotherockbeingofpurelyvolcanicorigin，up—
heavedbysomemightysubterraneanconvulsion。Itisformedofblocksofbasalt，arrangedinperfectorder，ofwhichtheregularprismsgivethewholemasstheeffectofbeingonegiganticcrystal;andtheremarkabletransparencyoftheseaenabledusplainlytoobservethecuriousshaftsoftheprismaticcolumnsthatsupportthemarveloussub—
structure。
"Thisisindeedasingularisland，"saidM。Letourneur;
"evidentlyitisofquiterecentorigin。"
"Yes，father，"saidAndre，"andIshouldthinkithasbeencausedbyaphenomenonsimilartothosewhichpro—
ducedtheJuliaIsland，offthecoastofSicily，orthegroupoftheSantorini，intheGrecianArchipelago。OnecouldalmostfancythatithadbeencreatedexpresslyfortheChan—
cellortostrandupon。"
"Itisverycertain，"Iobserved，"thatsomeupheavinghaslatelytakenplace。ThisisbynomeansanunfrequentedpartoftheAtlantic，sothatitisnotatalllikelythatitcouldhaveescapedthenoticeofsailorsifithadbeenalwaysinexistence;yetitisnotmarkedeveninthemostmoderncharts。Wemusttryandexploreitthoroughlyandgivefuturenavigatorsthebenefitofourobservations。"
"But，perhaps，itwilldisappearasitcame，"saidAndre。
"Youarenodoubtaware，Mr。Kazallon，thatthesevolcanicislandssometimeshaveaverytransitoryexistence。Notim—
possibly，bythetimeitgetsmarkeduponthemapsitmaynolongerbehere。"
"Nevermind，myboy，"answeredhisfather，"itisbet—
tertogivewarningofadangerthatdoesnotexistthanoverlookonethatdoes。Idaresaythesailorswillnotgrumblemuch，iftheydon’tfindareefwherewehavemarkedone。"
"No，Idaresaynot，father，"saidAndre，"andafterallthisislandisverylikelyasfirmasacontinent。However，ifitistodisappear，IexpectCaptainCurtiswouldbegladtoseeittakeitsdepartureassoonaspossibleafterhehasfinishedhisrepairs;itwouldsavehimaworldoftroubleingettinghisshipafloat。"
"Why，whatafellowyouare，Andre！"Isaid，laugh—
ing;"IbelieveyouwouldliketoruleNaturewithamagicwand，firstofall，youwouldcallupareeffromthedepthoftheoceantogivetheChancellortimetoextinguishherflames，andthenyouwouldmakeitdisappearjustthattheshipmightbefreeagain。"
Andresmiled;then，inamoreserioustone，heexpressedhisgratitudeforthetimelyhelpthathadbeenvouchsafedusinourhourofneed。
Themoreweexaminedtherocksthatformedthebaseofthelittleisland，themorewebecameconvincedthatitsformationwasquiterecent。Notamollusk，notatuftofseaweedwasfoundclingingtothesidesoftherocks;notagermhadthewindcarriedtoitssurface，notabirdhadtakenrefugeamidthecragsuponitssummits。Toaloverofnaturalhistory，thespotdidnotyieldasinglepointofinterest;thegeologistalonewouldfindsubjectofstudyinthebasalticmass。
WhenwereachedthesouthernpointoftheislandIpro—
posedthatweshoulddisembark。Mycompanionsreadilyassented，youngLetourneurjocoselyobservingthatifthelittleislandwasdestinedtovanish，itwasquiterightthatitshouldfirstbevisitedbyhumanbeings。Theboatwasaccordinglybroughtalongside，andwesetfootuponthereef，andbegantoascendthegradualslopethatleadstoitshighestelevation。
Thewalkingwasnotveryrough，andasAndrecouldgetalongtolerablywellwithouttheassistanceofanarm，heledtheway，hisfatherandIfollowingclosebehind。A
quarterofanhoursufficedtobringustotheloftiestpointintheislet，whenweseatedourselvesonthebasalticprismthatcrowneditssummit。
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