"The _Bell_, of the Downing Line, is within fifty miles of us," the operator replied. "She can come up when we need her."
"I don't think we shall," the captain said. "But kindly ask her to stand by during the night."
"Then the fire isn't altogether under control?" asked Paul.
"Not as much so as I would like to see it," answered the commander, frankly. "But we are keeping at it."
He wrote out the message he wished sent to the _Bell_, and then the little audience gathered again at the door of the wireless room to watch the operator at work.
Russ made films as long as the daylight lasted, but finally the coming of night forced him to stop, and he put away his camera.
The fighting of the fire still went on, though little of it could be observed now. There were no flames to be seen, but doubtless, down in the hold, where the cargo burned, there were angry, red tongues of fire. But the compartment was kept closed. It was now nearly full of water, the captain reported, and the fire must soon be extinguished.
"Unless it has crept to another compartment," ventured Mr. Sneed.
"Hush! Don't let anyone hear you say such things!" cried Russ, indignantly.
Dinner was not a very cheerful meal, but all managed to eat something. And the night was an uneasy one. What sleep there was came only in catnaps, for there was the constant noise of the pumps, and the running about of the sailors on the decks.
The _Tarsus_ was still motionless, save only as she rolled with the sea, which was still calm. Captain Falcon found that to proceed would be to drive the smoke aft into the cabins, and he did not want to do this. So he had the main engines shut down.
Through the night the fire was fought, and in the morning it was a gray and haggard captain who faced the anxious group of passengers gathered in the main saloon.
"Not very encouraging," was the answer. "We are now disabled, and the fire is still burning."
For a moment no one spoke, after the portentous words of Captain Falcon. Men and women looked at each other. The members of the moving picture company glanced from face to face. What would come next?
"Does this mean--does it indicate that we are to take to the boats?" asked Mr. DeVere, solemnly.
"Not necessarily," the captain replied. "I have come to put the matter plainly to you. The fire gained, in the night, and it reached the engine room compartment. We are, therefore, temporarily disabled, and cannot proceed, as we could have done had not this occurred. For we had the first blaze out.