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 while his alert ear caught vague sounds from without that were not re-assuring. "There was an odd noise, an explosion of some sort, forward a minute ago. I was just going to see what made it, I'll bring you word."

"An explosion? What could it have been? You don't think it's any thing about the boat? Are we running yet?"

"No; we were going very slowly, because of the fog, when it came. Hark! the whistle had stopped; now it goes on again. It hardly seems like any thing wrong with the steam. Very likely it was only a gas-tank, or something of that sort. I'll hurry back."

"Let me go with you," exclaimed the younger boy, dragging his shoes out from under the berth.

"I don't know whether you'd better," Philip returned, in sudden perplexity. Belmont came again into his mind. He was unwilling to have Gerald quit such a fortress, little as he liked leaving the boy alone. "I'll tell you what—if you don't mind I'd rather run out alone first for a moment. Then, if it's any thing interesting, you know, or worth while, you can go forward with me. If it isn't you'll