I had no mind for this. I turned away, and while directing the manning of the boats, did some deep and desperate thinking. Put her in an open boat with a lunatic brother and a doddering old skipper, I fumed? Not much. As the men swarmed down, Grace appeared in the forward companion. I beckoned to her, and she came. We had already rigged a whip from the fore yardarm, and in a "bosun's chair" at the end of this I quickly hoisted her over the side and into my boat. George, leaving his sister to the captain's care, had descended to his boat on the other side. When all were over but the captain and myself, the former appeared on deck. "Where is Miss Morton?" he called. "I cannot find her." "In the boat, captain," I truthfully yelled. "Hurry up, sir. There's no time to lose." I pointed, as he had done, to the main hatch. The bubble had burst, and up from the rent rose a column of smoke. "Go ahead, sir," he answered. "I must be last." I clambered down the side, and joined Grace in the sternsheets. "Where is George?" she asked. "I thought he was coming, and the captain, too." "Both in the starboard boat," I answered. "You're in here with me, where I can take care of you. Shove off!" I commanded. "Both boats shove off, and get away from here." The second mate had charge of the other boat, and together we shot away from the ship, putting a hundred yards between us before pausing to wait for the captain's boat from the other side. But it did not appear at once. Instead, we heard loud shouts, and the name "Grace" in Morton's tremulous voice. "Miss Morton is here," I sang out, but, if heard, I was not answered. Then the shouts ceased, and Morton's figure appeared on the opposite rail. "Grace!" he called. "Grace, where are you?" "I'm here, George," she answered. "I'm safe. Save yourself." "Here!" I bellowed. "Here with me! Get back into your boat." But instead he jumped down on deck, out of our sight. We pulled back toward the ship, and waited, a fair swimming distance away. Then, as a box of matches bursts into fame, so did that huge ship. The main-hatch covers flew into air, tangible and visible; and as they fell, the black pillar of smoke increased in size and solidity, while each oaken rail became a line of fire, and even the masts, dried by the heat of weeks, turned to fiery red columns in a few minutes. But the top of the cabin was still immune from the flames. And up the after steps by the side of the companion climbed Morton. He ran to the skylight, turned around, went part way back, and then retraced his steps, calling again for his sister. "Jump overboard!" I shouted. "Jump, for your life!"