"But your luck is not every one's, Tim; there have been plenty who have made fortunes at the business."
"Yis, but they wasn't Tim O'Rooneys. He's not the man that was born to be rich!"
"Yis, thank God, that I've such a good home, and an ongrateful dog would I baa if I should ask more."
"But, Elwood, it's getting late, and this night air begins to feel chilly. It can't be far from midnight."
"I am willing; where's Terror? Ah! here he is; old fellow, come along and keep faithful watch over your friends."
"Boys," said Tim O'Rooney, with a strange, husky intonation, "you remember my dream about this steamer burning?"
As Tim O'Rooney spoke, he pointed to the bow of the steamer, where, in the bright moonlight, some smoke could be seen rising--where, too, the next instant, they caught sight of a gleam of fire.
"Oh, heaven! what shall we do?" exclaimed Elwood, struck with a panic.
"Let us jump overboard; I'd rather be drowned than burned to death. Come, Howard, let's jump over this minute!"
He made a move toward the stern of the steamer, near which they had been seated, as if he intended to spring overboard, when his arm was sternly caught by the Irishman, who said in an indignant tone:
"Kaap cool! kaap cool! don't make a fool of yoursilf. Can ye swim?"
"Yes," answered Howard, "we can both swim very well. Can you?"
"But good heavens!" exclaimed Elwood, who had not entirely recovered from his excitement, "the land is miles off, and we can't swim there, not taking into account the heavy sea."
As Howard spoke, the bow of the steamer made a sweeping bend to the right.
"They've headed toward shore," said Elwood.
This snatch of conversation had occupied the shortest possible space of time. The fire had been discovered by the officials on board fully as soon as by our friends, and the men could be seen running hurriedly to and fro, all quiet and still, for they knew too well what the result would be if the alarm was communicated to the sleeping passengers. The pilot had headed the vast craft toward land, and by the furious throbbing of the engines it could be seen that the doomed vessel was straining to the utmost, like some affrighted, faithful horse striving to carry his master as nearly as possible to the port of safely ere he dropped down and died.