are, in themselves, terrifying. When to that is added the additional source of danger of the occurrence taking place at s

No sooner did Ned, Bob, and Jerry, together with many of their comrades, find themselves stumbling about in the dark with

ndicated that they were to take the quarters assigned to them, each[61] man near

egan to gleam. Some of the illumination came from oil lanterns provided for an emergency to the dynamo lighting system of the ship. Other glows flitted from portable electric flash-torches that many of the

ried the officers, rapidly getting the situation wel

ly about, crying out to know what had happened. No longer was the pall of blackne

f Ned, as he and his chum followed

an's," said[62] Jerry. "Let's get to

ing system, though sufficiently good to enable them to see to progress, was not as bright a

n first in

ere would be no terrible scenes should it become necessary to aban

hinery which had been so quickly made. She had come to a stop now in the darkness on the broad ocean, and was slowly heaving to the swell. There was also a s

o his two chums when they had reached their boat station and stood

6

er," comm

old boat will go

serious, or they wouldn't get us all up here

s be it said that they remained quiet, and some even laughed and joked, though they must have known, in case of the necessity for abandoning ship and taking to t

l sides, the que

happ

caus

sub att

ation given out, that when at last all the wounded had been brought up and e

horized by Captain Munson[64] to say that the ship is in no immediate danger. We are protected by a number of water

up his hand for silence, the colonel, stand

will follow as directed. It is of prime necessity that every man obey implicitly his superior officers. The firs

being made. As far as can be learned it was caused by an explosion of one of the small boilers. What caused the boiler t

boats first!" the colonel added, and his words were greeted with a cheer, which told him and the other

may be only slightly damaged, and we may be greatly so. W

was nothing to be done except to wait for the conclusion of the investigation of the ship'

egan to feel about him to ascertain if he had as many of hi

a great way from the coast, for we haven't made any

e small boat

man may limp back u

earnestly, "I wish we'd told some one about seeing that peppery c

ned[66] Jerry. "There are enough real happe

ve prevented thi

n engine-room accident. Probably they were carr

arked Bob. "Seems to me the lights

plied Jerry. "They switched on the storage battery, I hea

turned red, and then went out, as a glowing match slowly loses its illumination. All that lighted the

eing turned off to save the battery current for the wireless i

ss calls on a storage battery it w

6

and see," ad

damage done to the troopship. And as they waited in the semi-darkn

roops on the Sherman. The ship's captain was seen speaking to the colonel by Ned, Bob, and Jerry. And

to stand out as if written in let

sab

ype="