“Very good,” assented Mr. Pertell.  “I am sorry this has occurred, but perhaps it is best that we leave the ship.”

“It will be better for your peace of mind, though really I think we can conquer the fire,” the captain went on.  “But we are disabled, and may not be able to proceed for some time.”

“What are you going to do when we are gone?” asked Alice, who, with Ruth, had recovered some of her equanimity by this time.  “Are you coming with us, Captain Falcon—­you and your sailors?”

“I am going to stick by the ship!” he answered, and there was a proud ring in his voice.  “I believe I can save her, and then we’ll make repairs, and get to port under our own steam.  I want to save the owners salvage, if I can.”

“There speaks a brave man,” murmured Mr. DeVere.  “And there are many such unknown, who are going down the sea in ships every day.  A brave man!”

“Man the falls!” ordered Captain Falcon to those sailors who were not engaged in fighting the fire.  “Man the falls, and stand by to lower the boats!”

“Oh, must we really go in those little things?” cried Miss Pennington, as she heard this.

“Certainly,” answered Russ, who was near her.  “You wouldn’t expect to swim; would you?”

“Horrid thing!” snapped the actress.  “Come, Laura.  Don’t leave me.  I’m so frightened!”

“So am I,” declared her companion.  “It’s awful!”

“Their fright hasn’t made them pale, at any rate,” whispered Alice.  “They’ve taken on color, lately.”

“Oh, my dear, you mustn’t say such things,” chided Ruth.

The work of getting the passengers and their baggage into the boats was soon under way.  There was some confusion, not a little evidence of fright on the part of many, and some tears.  But among the bravest were little Tommie and Nellie.  They thought it all a lark, and probably, in their case, it was the bliss of ignorance.

Russ, who had been standing near Ruth and Alice, suddenly started for his stateroom.

“Where are you going?” asked Ruth, as the call came for them to take their places in a boat.

“For my moving picture camera!  I’m going to get views of this.  It’s too good to miss!”

“It seems so—­so—­” began Ruth, but Alice interrupted with: 

“Why shouldn’t he get the film?  There is really no danger of death, and it is a chance that he may never have again.  A film like this could be worked into a great play!”

“Spoken like a real artist of the movies!” cried Mr. Pertell.  “Go ahead, Russ.  Get all you can; but don’t take any chances.”

Then the young operator busied himself with making a film that was afterward said to be one of the best in the world showing a rescue from a burning ship.  And the beauty of it was that it was real.  There was no posing, and the ship was not an old hulk chartered for the occasion, and set fire to, as has been done more than once.