Up in the main saloon and around the deck a young girl wandered as if she wanted something without quite knowing what it was.  She climbed stairs under the sign “passengers not allowed,” went in and out of the pilot-house and, meeting the captain, asked if she couldn’t go wherever she wished on the boat.  He replied: 

“Yes, Miss.  I appoint you third mate, with power to give any orders you please and go wherever you wish.”

A little later, with a dark waterproof drawn tightly over her light dress, she opened the door leading to the engine-room, and clinging to the heavy brass rail, climbed slowly down the narrow, greasy iron stairway till she stood beside the mighty engine.  The engineer hastened to her side.

“It’s against the rules and very dangerous, Miss, for a passenger to come into this room.”

“But the captain told me I could come.”

“All right, but please be very careful and hold tight to that rail.  I am afraid I haven’t any right to let you stay, anyhow.”

“Thank you very much and I’ll be very careful.”

The girl watched the engine for some time and then crept slowly along a steel bridge that looked like a spider’s web, from which she could look into the furnace-room, with its roaring fires, scorching heat and constantly clanging iron doors.  For some minutes she gazed silently, then turning quickly, hurried across the bridge, up the greasy stairs and on to the main saloon where she found her father in a big arm-chair, buried in a book.  The girl first pulled the book out of her father’s hands, then, sitting on the arm of his chair, clasped her hands on his shoulder and whispered eagerly into his ear.

“Daddy, I want you to get that boy out of that hot place down in the bottom of the boat where he is at work.  I know he’s sick, for I saw him lean up against the wall and shut his eyes and he was just as white—­”

“Why, Molly, where have you been to see all this?”

“First, I went where the big engine is, then I went a little farther and saw—­Oh!  Daddy, hurry, please; if you don’t I know he’ll die.”

“So you want me to get this boy up in the saloon to play with you?”

“I don’t mean that at all, Daddy.  I should think you’d hate to see anybody worked to death down in that hot hole.”

“Well, I’ll see the captain about it as soon as I have finished my book.”

“Don’t you think you’d better see him now?  I’m quite sure you won’t enjoy your book while I’m here and I’ve decided to stay with you for the present.”

“All right, Molly, come along,” and they hunted up the captain, whom they found sitting near the pilot-house.

“Captain, I have taken an interest in that stowaway of yours.  Is there any objection to having his name put on the cabin list, at my expense, of course?”

“No kick coming from me,” said the captain, “though we are short-handed in the fire-room and the boy has been doing a man’s work there.  I don’t believe he will accept your offer, for he’s an independent little cub and, as I have put him to work, I can’t insist upon it.”