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CHAPTER THREE

In the Engine Room

‘Mr Donovan!’

‘Yes.’

‘The captain wants to see you. You’re an engineer, aren’t you? Come this way, please.’ The sailor opened a door and Daniel went quickly inside. They went down some stairs.

He opened another door, and a great cloud of steam came out, Daniel followed the young sailor into the room. It was very hot in here, and there were clouds of steam everywhere. A tall, red-faced man came up to him.

Mr Donovan? My name’s Humble, Captain Humble. We need you, sir. You’re an engineer, I understand. One of these engines has already stopped, and the other is working very badly. There’s too much steam in this room, sir, and not.’

A big wave hit the ship with a terrible crash and Daniel, Captain Humble and the young sailor held onto the wall. Daniel saw a big man in a blue coat, and shouted to him.

‘Are you the ship’s engineer?’

‘Yes!’ The man looked angry, tired, and frightened.

‘What’s the matter? Why has this engine stopped?’

‘Why? Because it’s too old, of course! Look here! See this? And this.’ For five minutes the two engineers moved around in the steam and smoke, and looked at the big engines.

‘See? It’s broken here, and here! How can I mend it now, in the middle of a storm? Can you do that, sir?’

Daniel shook his head. He was angry and frightened: ‘No, of course I can’t! The ship must go back to land!’

The man agreed quickly. ‘That’s right, that’s what I say! But you tell Captain Humble that! He says this a new, modern ship, so it can go anywhere, in any weather! Our rich passengers want to go to Scotland, so that’s where we’re going, he says! But it’s too dangerous and.’

The man stopped when Captain Humble came near. ‘Well, Mr Donovan? Can you help us? Do you know more about engines than this stupid engineer here? He says he can do nothing, and we must go back to Hull, because of a small storm! But I’m sure.’

‘He’s right, Captain Humble!’ shouted Daniel. ‘I can do nothing for these engines here, in this storm! They’re too old, and this one is broken in three places! We must go back to land, Captain, or we will all drown! I cannot help you!’

‘Gaaaaaargh!’ The captain pushed Daniel angrily away from him. ‘Then get out of my way, Mr Donovan you’re no good to me! Get back to the women and children!’ Daniel went quickly to the door, and up the stairs to the wind and rain outside.

But he was a badly frightened man. His hands were shaking, and it was hard for him to stand in the terrible screaming wind. Above his head, two sailors were putting up a small sail, ‘That’s no good,’ he thought. ‘It’s too small for a big ship like this. Without engines, we can do nothing.’

He stared out to sea, but he could see nothing - only the white tops of the great black waves, and the black clouds above. No stars, no moon. But -far away to the south west - there was a little light flashing, On. off. on. off. It went behind a wave, and then came back again, like a star in the night sky, far away.

But it was coming nearer. Nearer all the time.