"Yes; all right," I said; and the next moment Bob Hampton was climbing in. "Sent me to help you, my lad. Hooroar! the ship's our own again." In another minute Barney was up alongside, and he was followed by Mr Frewen and Mr Brymer. These all seized guns. "They're not loaded," I said sadly. "Never mind, my lad; appearances go a long way," said Mr Brymer. "The scoundrels will not know. Now then, pick up something for a weapon, Dale, if it's only the cabin poker." "Are you going to fight?" I said in a low tone. "I thought you were going to help that poor wretch." "I can attend him as well when he is our prisoner, Dale, as if we were Jarette's." "Of course," I said excitedly. "But hadn't you better have Dumlow too?" "Can't climb up, my lad," said Bob Hampton, in a husky whisper; "and Mr Preddle's too fat." "Ready?" said Mr Brymer. "Ay, ay," came from the men, and "Yes" from Mr Frewen. "Then come on." The mate threw open the door to lead the way, and then hesitated for a moment or two, for the saloon was flooded by a pale bluish light. "I hoped we should have darkness on our side," he said, "but--" "Look, look!" I cried wildly; "the ship's on fire." We all ran to the companion together, three on one side of the saloon-table, two on the other; while I could hardly believe my eyes as I saw flooding up from beyond the main-mast great soft waves of bluish fire. "It is the casks of spirits in the hold," cried Mr Brymer, excitedly. "They've done for it at last. But come on quickly: we can pass that without getting much harm; and as soon as we have secured the scoundrels, we must try the pump and hose." We tried to go along the starboard side, but the flames came out in such strong pulsations there, that we were obliged to cross to the port side, where there seemed to be about ten feet clear. "Now then," cried Mr Brymer; "they're all below, and have not taken the alarm. A quick rush, and we have them." He was half-way along the clear pathway formed along the deck between the flames floating up from the hold and the port bulwark, and his figure stood up strangely unreal against the bluish light, when there was a heavy report below in the hold, and a rush of flame which extended from side to side of the ship. But after the report there was no roar or crackling sound of burning, for the blue and orange flames came pulsing up in great waves silent and strange, the quiet mastery they had attained being appalling. The explosion--that of a spirit-cask, one of the many in the hold-- brought up the men from the forecastle, wild with excitement; but we only saw them for, a moment, and then they were screened from us by the fire, which was singularly clear from smoke, and rose steadily upward and away from the main-mast, whose sails hung down motionless in the calm.