The blazing hull, from
which most of the upper works were now burned away, was liable to
plunge to the bottom at any moment, and the boy shuddered at the
thought of being engulfed in the seething whirlpool which would thus be
created. He involuntarily cringed, too, at the thought of the red-hot
boilers ready to burst and deluge all surrounding objects with scalding
steam and hissing water. Still, he would not have spoken a single word
to deter Billy Brackett from his daring project even had he known it
would be heeded.
While these thoughts flashed through Winn's mind, his companion was
clambering up over the low guards, and Bim's joyful welcome of his
master was pitiful in its extravagance. The dog seemed to say, "I knew
you would come if I only waited patiently and barked loud enough. Now
you see why I couldn't leave."
The object to which Bim thus directed attention, as plainly as though
possessed of speech, was a little curly-haired puppy, a Gordon setter,
so young that its eyes were not yet opened.
Billy Brackett picked it up and dropped it over the side into Winn's
arms. Then he tried to do the same by Bim; but, with a loud bark, the
nimble dog eluded his grasp, and dashed away into the thick of the
smoke. Tongues of flame were licking their cruel way through it, and
as Bim emerged, his hair was scorched in yellow patches.
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