While I looked at her, Miss Sackett burst into a hard laugh which jangled hysterically.  She had been silent since she had entered the boat, and this sudden burst startled me.  Her eyes were fixed upon the grim derelict.  They shone in the moonlight and she choked convulsively.

“Can I hand you some water, ma’m?” asked Jenks.

“What made you come with us, you rogue?” she asked, without turning her head.

“I was with ye from the start, s’help me,” said Jenks.  “I only goes with the other side when I feared they’d kill all hands.”

“Well, it’s a good thing for you, you contemptible rascal,” she answered in an even tone.

All of a sudden I noticed a flicker of light above the cabin of the Sovereign.  It died away for an instant and then flared again, Miss Sackett laughed convulsively.

“Look,” she said.

At that instant a red glare flashed up from the derelict.  It shone on her maintopsail and staysails and lit up the ocean around her.

“Faith, but she’s afire,” cried Chips.  “Look at them.”

I turned the boat’s head around and ran her off before the wind, hauling up again and standing for the wreck to get near her.  Miss Sackett seized my arm and held it fast.

“Don’t go back for them!” she cried.  “You shall not go back for them!”

“I haven’t the least intention of going for them,” I answered; “I only wanted to get close enough to see what they’d do.  Did you set her afire?” I asked bluntly.

“Of course I did,” said the girl, passionately.  “Do you suppose I didn’t hear them telling you I should have to remain aboard?  What else was there left for me to do?  Would you have me fall into their hands?”

“Lord save ye, but ye did the right thing,” said Chips.  Johnson echoed this sentiment.

“An’ I knew ye ware up to somethin’ of the kind when ye went below,” said Jenks, “fer I smelled the smoke and thought to stop it, but there ware too much risk as it was to add fire, so I had to step out o’ the crowd an’ jine ye.  I never did nothin’ in the fracas, as ye know, except get hurt.”

In ten minutes we were close aboard the derelict, and her cabin was a mass of flame.  Figures of men showed against the light amidships, and I finally made out all hands getting out a spar and barrels to make a raft.  The oil in the cargo, however, was too quick for them.  It had become ignited aft and had cut off all retreat by the stove-in boat.  Several explosions followed, and the flames roared high above the maintopsail.  Journegan, Andrews, and another man were seen making their way forward across the sunken deck.  The heat drove them to the topgallant forecastle and in a few minutes we could see all standing there near the windlass.  The bitts sheltered them from the heat.

The oil in the ship was not submerged in the after part, owing to her trimming by the head.  It had been the last stuff put aboard and was well up under her cabin deck.  Even that which was awash caught after the fire had started to heat things up well, and the entire after part of the Sovereign was a mass of flames.  They gave forth a brilliant light, glowing red and making the sky appear dark beyond.  Great clouds of sparks from the woodwork above soared into the heavens.  The light must have been visible for miles.