"Look out for a gasolene explosion!" warned the lieutenant. "Is
there any of it there?"
"Only a little," answered Mr. Vardon. "The main supply is in the
deck tank. But there is a small can in there for priming the
cylinders, in case we have to."
"It smells like oil afire," said Larry Dexter.
"That's what it is--probably some oily waste started by spontaneous
combustion," said Mr. Vardon.
As he spoke he threw the contents of his extinguisher inside the
motor compartment--it was hardly large enough to be called a room.
The smoke was so black that no blaze could be seen.
"Open some of the windows!" shouted Paul. "It's choking in here."
"That's right!" agreed Larry, with a cough and a sneeze.
"Stoop down--get near the floor of the cabin," ordered the army
lieutenant. "The air is always more pure there."
He, too, emptied the contents of his extinguisher in the
compartment, and his example was followed by the others. The smoke
seemed to be less now, and much of it went out through the opened
windows, which Paul slid back in their groves.
"There's the blaze!" cried Dick, as he saw, through the lessening
haze of smoke, some bright, red tongues of fire.
"Douse it!" cried Paul, handing his chum a fresh extinguisher, for
Dick had used his.
The young millionaire threw on the chemical powder, for this
happened to be that sort of an extinguisher, and almost instantly
there followed a sharp explosion.
"Look out!" yelled Dick, ducking instinctively.
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