At this cry all hands rushed toward the after-part of the vessel. I ran
with the rest.
On reaching the quarter-deck we found the black cook, "Snowball," in the
hands of the captain and mate, who were beating him with thick ropes,
and causing him to "sing out" at the top of his voice. Both were
excited and angry--swearing loudly as they struck the blows--and already
the man's back exhibited the keenness of their vengeance.
Some of the sailors--still apprehensive about the cry of fire which they
had heard--demanded an explanation, which was immediately given.
"Snowball" had gone down to the store-room under the main cabin--for the
purpose of drawing brandy from a large cask of this spirit that was kept
there. The only access to the store-room was through a small hatch in
the floor of the cabin itself; and, as it was bulk-headed off from the
rest of the hold, of course the place was quite dark. For this reason
the cook had carried with him, as he always did on such occasions, a
lighted candle.
It was not clearly explained how he had mismanaged--for the black as
well as most of the crew of the _Pandora_ were, ever since the discovery
about the water, in a state of half-intoxication. Even at that moment
it was evident that both mate and captain were nearly drunk, and gave
but half-coherent replies to the eager inquiries of the men--who were
still under apprehensions from the cries of fire that summoned them aft.
The accident was afterwards explained by "Snowball" himself. It
appeared that the brandy-cask was without a regular tap, or stopcock,
and that the cook was in the habit of drawing the liquor through the
bung-hole, by means of an ordinary dipper. Somehow or other--of course
through the black's drunken negligence--the burning candle had slipped
from his fingers, and dropped right into the bung-hole; and, quick as a
flash, the spirit had caught fire, and smoke and flame issued in volumes
through the hole.
At first the cook, dreading chastisement, resolved not to make any
alarm; but, coming on deck, provided himself as quickly as he could with
a bucket of water. With this he returned, and, pouring the water into
the cask, endeavoured by such means to stifle the flames. It was all to
no purpose--the blue blaze flickered upward as before--each instant
becoming stronger, as the brandy itself grew hotter and more of the
spirit caught the fire.
It appeared that the cook had made several journeys back and forward
from the store-room to the deck, before confessing to what had occurred,
or warning any one of the peril in which the vessel was placed.
At length, however, his frequent passing to and fro with the
water-bucket attracted the attention of the mate; and then the discovery
was made that the brandy was on fire; for the black was now forced to
confess the truth.
Then it was that the cry of fire was raised which had called the crew
away from their demon purpose.
From the behaviour of the captain and his mate, it might have been
supposed that the fire had been extinguished; and, for a time, such was
the belief. Surely, before setting on to belabour the culprit as they
were doing, they had seen that the fire was out? Such would have been
the natural conclusion, and so everyone judged. It soon came out that
they judged wrongly. The two officers were half-mad with drink and
rage; and, without attempting to get the fire under, they had set upon
the black and were expending their anger in blows, while the latter kept
howling at the top of his voice, mingling with his cries for mercy the
more startling cry of "fire!" It was this that had so suddenly alarmed
the crew.
Was the fire out? or was it still burning? These were the questions
that passed from mouth to mouth in quick and apprehensive utterance.
As soon as it was ascertained where it had occurred, a rush was made
into the cabin--the men crowding together through the entrance, and
treading upon one another's heels in their haste to be assured of the
truth and relieved of the terrible suspense--for there is no calamity on
board a ship so much dreaded as fire.
The suspense of the _Pandora's_ crew was not of long duration. It
became certainty--a certainty that the fire was not yet extinguished!
On entering the cabin, they saw this at a glance. Thick sulphurous
smoke was rising through the open hatchway, and the cabin was already
filled with it. There must be fire to produce such a smoke, and fire
still alive and active--for it was not the smoke of a fire that had been
lately extinguished! No; it was still alive--still burning--still
spreading and increasing! That was evident to all as soon as they
entered the cabin, and saw the smoke issuing up through the hatchway.
But if there remained any doubt on the mind of any one it was soon
removed; for, at that moment a loud explosion was heard in the
store-room below--like a blank-shot or the bursting of a steam-boiler--
and, almost simultaneous with the report, a gush of thick vapour,
mingled with blue flame, came rushing up the hatchway.