Fenn Masterson's Discovery Part 19

"Yes, from the battery. You see I couldn't sleep, and I often find a current of electricity is beneficial. I did not want to awaken Captain Wiggs with the buzz of my machine, for it makes quite a noise, so I brought it into this empty stateroom. I hope I didn't disturb you."

Mr. Ackerman did not wait for the boys to answer. Instead he continued:

"But I'm glad you came in. I want to take a stronger current, and it goes better if I have some one to share it with me. If you will be so kind, you can each take one of the tubes in your hand, and I will take hold of your other hands. Thus we will form a circle, with me in the center. I think I shall be able to get a current then, that will cause me to go to sleep."

The boys were a little apprehensive, for, though they had taken electric "shocks" at school, during the experiments, they did not care for the amus.e.m.e.nt. However, they did not like to refuse, so, rather gingerly, Fenn grasped one handle, and Frank the other. Mr. Ackerman then did something to the battery which made it buzz louder than ever.

"All ready," he announced, as he grasped Fenn's right hand in his left and Frank's left in his right.

The instant that he did so it seemed as if the trio had been hit by something. They all doubled up, the arms of the boys and the invalid jerking like the legs of a frog.

"Ow!" cried Fenn.

"Let go!" called Frank.

But there was no need for any one to let go. With an exclamation of great astonishment, Mr. Ackerman jerked his hands from the involuntary grip of the boys'. That at once broke the circuit, and the current ceased to have any effect. The machine was still buzzing away, however.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" murmured the invalid. "I meant to turn on the weak current, and I turned on the strong one! Did you get bad shocks, boys?"

"Did we!" exclaimed Fenn. "Say, it feels as if I had eaten some strong horse-radish by mistake."

"It seems as if a mule kicked me," remarked Frank, rubbing his arms.

"I'm very sorry," apologized Mr. Ackerman. "I really did not intend that. I hope you believe I did not." He seemed quite distressed over the happening.

"That's all right," spoke Fenn, good-naturedly. "We know it was an accident."

"Rather a fortunate accident, too," went on the invalid. "My nerves are much calmer now. I really think I shall be able to go to sleep. I must have taken the right kind of a current without knowing it. I'll do it the next time I find myself too wakeful."

"Please excuse us from helping," begged Frank, with a smile. "It's a little too much."

"Oh, no, I wouldn't think of shocking you again," said Mr. Ackerman as he began to take the battery apart for packing. "I shall take the current alone. But there, I must not talk or I shall be awake again. I must hurry and get to sleep."

"Isn't he the limit!" exclaimed Fenn, when he and Frank were back in the stateroom again. "He thinks that was fun for us."

The electrical treatment appeared to improve the sick man, for, the next day he was much better, and even laughed and joked about the night's experience.

The _Modoc_ continued on her course, putting many knots behind her, and the boys were more and more delighted with their cruise, which every day revealed to them new beauties of scenery.

One afternoon, when they were within a day's travel of Duluth, Captain Wiggs, who was sitting on deck with the four chums, arose suddenly and began to sniff the air.

"What's the matter? Is the cook burning the steak?" asked Fenn.

"Something's burning," answered the commander, with a grave face.

A moment later a sailor, much excited, came rushing up on deck.

"Fire in the forward hold, sir!" he called.

CHAPTER XVII

A STRANGE VISION

Captain Wiggs was not built on speed lines. He was short and squatty, and inclined to be fat. But the way in which he hustled about as soon as he heard what the sailor said was sufficient to qualify him to enter a go-as-you-please race of almost any kind.

With a few jumps he was at the companionway leading below, and, as he went the boys could hear him call out:

"Ring the fire alarm! Every man to his station! Someone tell the pilot to slow down! Signal to the engineer to get the pumps in gear!"

Nor were the members of the crew slow to carry out the commander's instructions. One man rang the automatic fire alarm, that sounded in every part of the vessel. Another hurried to the bridge, where he delivered the message about stopping the boat. The _Modoc_ at once began to lose way and, a moment later, the vibration from the engine room told the boys that the pumps had been started.

"Let's go below and see if we can help," suggested Bart, and the four chums went down in a hurry. They found men dragging lines of hose forward where little curls of smoke began coming from an open hatchway.

"Drown her out, men!" cried the captain. "It'll be all day with us if the flames get loose in that dry freight!"

Several of the men, dragging the snaky lines of hose, dropped down into the hold. They called for water, and the captain signalled for it to be turned on. The flat hose bulged out like a snake after a full meal, and a splashing sound from below told that the quenching fluid was getting in its work.

"Can we do anything?" asked Fenn, as he saw Captain Wiggs taking off his coat and donning oil skins.

"Not now, I guess. You might stand by for orders though. There's no telling into what this will develope."

It was getting quite smoky below, and the hold, down into which the commander had disappeared, was pouring out a volume of black vapor.

"Tell 'em to send another line of hose!" came a voice from below, and Fenn hurried to the engineer's room with the order.

Several men sprang at once to obey. The hose was unreeled from a rack on the part.i.tion, and run out to the hold. Then the engineer started another pump, that had been held in reserve.

There were now three lines of hose pouring water on the flames, which the boys could not see. That the blaze was not succ.u.mbing so quickly as had been hoped for, was evident by the shouts and excitement that came from the depths of the ship.

"Tell 'em to give us more water!" yelled the captain to the boys waiting above.

Frank rushed with the order, glad to escape the smoke, which was momentarily growing thicker.

"Tell him he's got all the water I can give him!" shouted the engineer, above the noise of the clanking machinery. "One of the pumps has gone out of commission!"

Frank shouted what the engineer had said to Captain Wiggs, below in the darkness.

"Then we've got to batten down the hatches and turn live steam into this hold!" was what the commander called back. "Tell him to get up a good head!"

Frank did so. When he returned Captain Wiggs was just making his way out of the hold. He was black, and smoke-begrimed, while he dripped water from every point of his yellow garments.

"Is there any danger?" asked Ned.

"There always is with a fire aboard a ship," answered the commander.