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and I didn't care。
〃Well； I was the first to discover the fire； I think；〃 Naseby； the Zebra cook； said hesitantly。 His Yorkshire accent was very pronounced。 He was still no picture of health and strength； but； for all that； he was a hundred per cent improved on the man I had seen yesterday。 Like the other eight survivors of Drift Ice Station Zebra who were present in the wardroom that morning； a long night's warm sleep and good food had brought about a remarkable change for the better。 More accurately； like seven others。 Captain Folsom's face had been so hideously burned that it was difiIcult to say what progress he was making； though he had certainly bad a good enough breakfast； almost entirely liquid； less than half an hour previously。
〃It must have been about two o'clock in the morning；〃 Naseby went on。 〃Well； near enough two。 The place was already on fire。 Burning like a torch； it was。 I〃
〃What place？〃 I interrupted。 〃Where were you sleeping？〃
〃In the cookhouse。 That was also our dining hail。 Furthestwest hut in the north row。〃
〃You slept there alone？〃
〃No。 Hewson； here； and Flanders and Bryce slept there also。 Flanders and Bryce； they're…they were…lab technicians。 Hewson and I slept at the very back of the hut； then there were two big cupboards； one on each side； that held all our food stores； then Flanders and Bryce slept in the dining hail itself； by a corner of the galley。〃
〃They were nearest the door？〃
〃That's right。 I got up； coughing and choking with smoke； very groggy； and I could see flames already starting to eat through the east wall of the hut。 I shook Hewson； then ran for the fire extinguisher： it was kept by the door。 It wouldn't work。 Jammed solid with the cold； I suppose。 I don't know。 I ran back in again。 I was blind by this time。 You never saw smoke like it in your life。 I shook Flanders and Bryce and shouted at them to get out； then I bumped into Hewson and told him to run and wake Captain Folsom here。〃
I looked at Hewson。 〃You woke Captain Folsom？〃
〃I went to wake him； but not right away。 The whole camp was blazing like the biggest Fifth of November bonfire you ever saw； and flames twenty feet high were sweeping down the lane between the two rows of huts。 The air was full of flying oil； a lot of it burning。 I had to make a long swing to the north to get clear of the oil and the flames。〃
〃The wind was from the east？〃
〃Not quite。 Not that night。 Southeast； I would say。 Eastsoutheast would be more like it。 Anyway； I gave a very wide berth to the generator housethat was the one next to the dining hall in the north rowand reached the main bunkhouse。 That was the one you found us in。〃
〃Then you woke Captain Folsom？〃
〃He was already gone。 Shortly after I'd left the dining hall； the fuel drums in the fuel…storage hutthat was the one directly south of the main bunkhousestarted exploding。 Like bloody great bombs going off； they were； the noise they made。 They would have waked the dead。 Anyway； they woke Captain Folsom。 He and Jeremy here〃he nodded at a man sitting across the table from him〃had taken the fire extinguisher from the bunkhouse and tried to get close to Major Halliwell's hut。〃
〃That was the one directly west of the fuel store？〃
〃That's right。 It was an inferno。 Captain Folsom's extinguisher worked well enough； but he couldn't get close enough to do any good。 There was so much flying oil in the air that even the extinguisher foam seemed to burn。〃
〃Hold on a minute；〃 I said。 〃To get back to my original question。 How did the fire start？〃
〃We've discussed that a hundred times among ourselves；〃 Dr。 Jolly said wearily。 〃The truth is； old boy； we haven't a clue。 We know 〃where〃 it started； all right： match the huts destroyed against the wind direction that night and it could only have been in the fuel store。 But how？ It's anybody's guess。 I don't see that it matters a great deal now。〃
〃I disagree。 It matters very much。 If we could find out how it started； we might prevent another such tragedy later on。 That's why I'm here。 Hewson； you were in charge of the fuel store and generator hut。 Have you no opinion on this？〃
〃None。 It 〃must〃 have been electrical； but how I can't guess。 It's possible that there was a leakage from one of the fuel drums and that oil vapor was present in the air。 There were two black heaters in； the fuel store； designed to keep the temperature up to zero Fahrenheit so that the oil would always flow freely。 Arcing across the make and break of the thermostats might have ignited the gas。 But it's only a wild guess； of course。
〃No possibility of any smoldering rags or cigarette butts being the cause？〃
Hewson's face turned a dusky red。 〃Look； mister； I know my job。 Burning rags； cigarette butts； I know how to keep a bloody fuel store〃
〃Keep your shirt on；〃 I interrupted。 〃No offense。 I'm only doing 〃my〃 job。〃 I turned back to Naseby。 〃After you'd sent Hewson to rouse Captain Folsom； what then？〃
〃I ran across to the radio roomthat's the hut due south of the cookhouse and west of Major Halliwell's〃
〃But those two lab techniciansFlanders and Bryce； wasn't it？surely you made sure they were awake and out of it before you left the dining hail？〃
〃God help me； I didn't。〃 Nasehy stared down at the deck； his shoulders hunched； his face bleak。 〃They're dead。 It's my fault they're dead。 But you don't know what it was like inside that dining hail。 Flames were breaking through the east wall； the place was full of choking smoke and oil； I couldn't see； I could hardly breathe。 I shook them both and shouted at them to get out。 I shook them hard and I certainly shouted loud enough。〃
〃I can bear him out on that；〃 Hewson said quietly。 〃I was right beside him at the time。〃
〃I didn't wait；〃 Naseby went on。 〃I wasn't thinking of saving my own skin。 I thought Flanders and Bryce were all right and that they would be out the door on my heels。 I wanted to warn the others。 It wasn'tit wasn't until minutes later that I realized there was no sign of them。 And then…well； then it was too late。〃
〃You ran across to the radio room。 That's where you slept； Kinnaird； wasn't it？〃
〃That's where I slept； yes。〃 His mouth twisted。 〃Me and my mate Grant； the boy that died yesterday。 And Dr。 Jolly slept in the partitioned…off east end of the hut。 That's where he had his surgery and the little cubby hole where he carried out his tests on ice samples。〃
〃So your end would have started to go on fire first？〃 I said to Jolly。
〃Must have done；〃 he agreed。 〃Quite frankly； old chap； my recollection of the whole thing is just like a dreama nightmare； rather。 I was almost asphyxiated in my sleep； I think。 First thing I remember was young Grant bending over me； shaking me and shouting。 Can't recall what he was shouting； but it must have been that the hut was on fire。 I don't know what I said or did； probably nothing； for the next thing I clearly remember was being hit on both sides of the face； and not too gently； either。 But； by Jove； it worked。 I got to my feet； and he dragged me out of my office into the radio room。 I owe my life to young Grant。 I'd just enough sense left to grab the emergency medical kit that I always kept packed。〃
〃What woke Grant？〃
〃Naseby here woke him；〃 Kinnaird said。 〃He woke us both； shouting and hammering on the door。 If it hadn't been for him； Dr。 Jolly and I would both have been goners。 The air inside that place was like poison gas； and I'm sure if Naseby hadn't shouted on us； we would never have woken up。 I told Grant to wake the doctor while I tried to get the outside door open。〃
〃It was locked？
〃The damned thing was jammed。 That was nothing unusual at night。 During the day； when the heaters were going full blast to keep the huts at a decent working temperature； the ice around the doors tended to melt。 At night； when we got into our sleeping bags； we turned our heaters down； and the melted ice froze hard around the door openings； sealing it solid。 That happened most nights in most of the hutsusually had to break our way out in the morning。 But I can tell you that I didn't take too long to burst it open that night。〃
〃And then？〃
〃I ran out；〃 Kinnaird said。 〃I couldn't see a thing for black smoke and flying oil。 I ran maybe twenty yards to the south to get some idea of what was happening。 The whole camp seemed to be on fire。 When you're woken up like that at two in the morning； half blinded； half asleep and groggy with fumes； your mind isn't at its best but thank God I'd enough left of my mind to realize that an S。O。S。 radio message was the one thing that was going to save our lives。 So I went back inside the radio hut。〃
〃We all owe our lives to Kinnaird。〃 Speaking for the first time was Jeremy； a burly； red…haired Canadian who had been chief technician on the base。 〃And if I'd been a bit quicker with my hands； we'd all have been dead。〃
〃Oh； for Christ's sake； mate； shut up；〃 Kinnaird growled。
〃I won't shut up；〃 Jeremy said soberly。 〃Besides； Dr。 Carpenter wants a full report。 I was the first out of the main bunkhouse after Captain Folsom。 As Hewson said； we tried the extinguisher on Major Halliwell's hut。 It was hopeless from the beginning； but we had to do itafter all； we knew there were four men trapped in there。 But； like I say； it was a waste of time。 Captain Folsom shouted that he was going to get another extinguisher and told me to see how things were in the radio room。
〃The place was ablaze from end to end。 As I came around as close as I could to the door at the west end I saw Naseby here bending over Dr。 Jolly； who'd keeled over as soon as he had e out into the fresh air。 He shouted to me to give him a hand to drag Dr。 Jolly clear； and I was just about to when Kinnaird came running up。 I saw that he was heading straight for the door of the radio room。〃 He smiled without humor。 〃I thought he had gone off his rocker。 I jumped in front of him to stop him。 He shouted at me to get out of the way。 I told him not to be crazy； and he yelledyou had to yell to make yourself heard above the roar of the flamesthat he had to get the portable radio out； that all the oil was gone； and the generator and the cookhouse with all the food were burning up。 He knocked me down； and the next thing I saw was him disappearing through that door。 Smoke and flames were pouring through the doorway。 I don't know how he ever got out alive。〃
〃Was that how you got your face and hands so badly burned？〃 mander Swanson asked quietly。 He was standing in a far corner of the wardroom； having taken no part in the discussion up till now but missing nothing； all the same。 That was why I had asked him to be present； just because he was a man who missed nothing。
〃I guess so； sir。〃
〃That should earn you a trip to Buckingham Palace；〃 Swanson murmured。
〃The hell with Buckingham Palace；〃 Kinnaird said violently。 〃How about my mate； eh？ How about young Jimmy Grant？ Can he make the trip to Buckingham Palace？ Not now he can't； the poor bastard。 Do you know what he was doing？ He was still 〃inside〃 the radio room when I went back in； sitting at the main transmitter； sending out an S。O。S。 on our regular frequency。 His clothes were on fire。 I dragged him off his seat and shouted to him to grab some Nife cells and get out。 I caught up the portable transmitter and a nearby box of Nife cells and ran through the door。 I thought Grant was on my heels； but I couldn't hear anything； what with the roar of flames and the bursting of fuel drums； the racket was deafening。 Unless you'd been there； you just can't begin to imagine what it was like。 I ran far enough clear to put the radio and cells in a safe place。 Then I went back。 I asked Naseby； who was still trying to bring Dr。 Jolly round； if Jimmy Grant had e out。 He said he hadn't。 I started to run for the door again； and； well； that's all I remember。〃
〃I clobbered him；〃 Jeremy said with gloomy satisfaction。 〃From behind。 I had to。〃
〃I could have killed you when I came round；〃 Kinnaird said morosely。 〃But I guess you saved my life at that。〃
〃I certainly did； brother。〃 Jeremy grimaced。 〃That was my big contribution that night。 Hitting people。 After Naseby had brought Dr。 Jolly round； he suddenly started shouting； 'Where's Flanders and Bryce； where's Fland