But he did hear this:
"There's a fire, sir, in hold number seventeen. We have turned the
hose in there, and the pumps are working."
"Very good, Mr. Meld. Now try and quiet the passengers. Tell them it
doesn't amount to much, and if it does we can flood that
compartment."
Tom started at that.
"Come on, Ned!" he cried, grabbing his chum by the arm.
"Why, what's up? What's the matter?"
"Matter? Matter enough! The fire is in the hold where all our stuff
is stored, and if the flames reach that box I packed last--well, I
wouldn't give much for the ship!" and fairly dragging his chum
along, Tom raced for the place where the smoke was now coming up in
thicker clouds.
CHAPTER VIII
A NARROW ESCAPE
"Here, come back! You can't go past here!"
"But I've got to go! I tell you I must go! It's important!"
The first speaker was one of the ship's officers, and the other was
Tom Swift, who, accompanied by his chum, was trying to get past a
rope that had been hastily stretched in front of the hold where the
smoke was rolling up in ever-thickening clouds.
"It's important that you stay where you are," insisted the officer.
Pages:
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76