41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
"
In the
Shaft Alley
very bottom of the steamer. If
tors and if
they were doing any
there were any ventila
service at all it
was not
perceptible.
The hot air in the tunnel reeked with
machine-oil, and, with all those breaths in there, it
soon became wretchedly foul.
A man near me, who
was prying up a plank with a heavy crowbar, suddenly
gave a little gasp, reeled and fell quietly into my out
stretched arms. Two of his friends carried him out,
but they quickly returned and went eagerly to
work.
In fact, in spite
of the bad air, the heat and the oily
smells, all the men seemed remarkably
keen for the
work. I noticed that Max Fishley was officiously di
recting operations, and wondered how he came to be
down there while Mr. Nason was in command.
mental comment on this was, strangely enough, fol
My
lowed on the instant by a remark by the first officer,
who drew near to Fishley and asked,
"
What are
you
doing down here, Max ?
Oh, I thought I could be of some help.
Don t
you
want to go on deck ? I ll take charge here. You must
be nearly worn out."
He said this with a gentleness of tone of which I had
deemed him incapable.
not such a bad fellow after all.
It occurred to me that he was
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