Maxwell, whose excitement in the race was feigned, perceived that the
boat was in imminent danger. He had not intended to carry the excitement
quite so far. An explosion was not exactly the thing he desired. It
would not be sufficiently discriminating in its choice of victims. But
the firemen were too much excited to listen to reason; therefore he
proceeded, with Vernon, towards the extreme after part of the boat.
Passing round the gallery of the ladies' cabin, they perceived that
Henry had, at last, left his post. Such was indeed the case. Roused from
his abstraction by the terrible anticipation of an explosion, he had
gone forward to reason with the pilots on the recklessness of their
course in allowing the boat to be so hard pressed.
"Now is our time," said Maxwell, in a whisper.
"Here goes, then!" replied Vernon.
"Be careful that you do not injure her,--and bring her clothes."
"Ay, ay! Have the boat ready quick, for, if I mistake not, the sooner we
are out of this boat the better."
The ruffian approached the door of Emily's state-room, and was about to
open it, when, with a noise louder than the crashing of the thunderbolt,
the starboard boiler exploded, and the Chalmetta lay a shapeless wreck
upon the waters!
CHAPTER XIV.
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