They could not stand before him for
an instant.
There was a cry from below.
"Pull away, up there!"
It was Frank's voice.
Willing hands seized the rope. There was a heavy weight at the end of
it. They dragged the weight up, with the smoke rolling into their faces
in a cloud that grew denser and denser.
And up through the smoke came Sport Harris, irons and all, with the ends
of the rope tied about his waist!
Frank had found Harris, and here the fellow was.
They untied the rope from Sport's waist in a hurry. Then they lowered it
again.
"Pull away!"
Frank Merriwell was dragged up through the smoke.
"Now," said Browning, "down goes the hatch!"
And it was slammed into place in a hurry, holding the smoke back.
CHAPTER XV.
THE SEA GIVES UP.
The pumps were going, in an attempt to flood the hold, but the men did
not attempt to fight the fire in anything like a reasonable manner.
The knowledge of the cargo down there in the hold turned them to cowards
and unreasoning beings. They were expecting to be blown skyward at any
moment.
Of a sudden the engines stopped and the "Eagle" began to lose headway.
Men were making preparations to lower the boats.
"Well, I'll be hanged if they are not going to abandon the ship!"
exclaimed Frank. "The case must be pretty bad. I wonder how the fire
started?"
"I set it!"
At his feet was Harris, whom he had just rescued from the hell below,
and the fellow had declared that he set the fire!
"You?"
"Yes," said the wretch.
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