Year: 1866

/ do IL oCe W" dIuS tuc IRE d0u biitft


were the flames leaping up, the clouds
of sparks rising, the clouds of smoke
rolling away, and the cracking sput
ter of the states as they flew with the
heat, and then slid rattling off into The
court beneath, smash upon the pave
ment. Every now and then came g
louder roar and crash as rafter OF
beam fell in, and sent the sparks ur
in a whirlwind. And there all that
time were those poor creatures utter
ing the widest, piercing shriekS for
help you ever heard. Now, I've heard
so much of that sort of thing that
you'd expect that | shouldn't mind it
but | do though; and as | said about
the fires, [ don't think | shall ever get
to take 1t as q matter of course; for
there is something very awful in see
ing fellow creatures strong and hearty,
and yet, dying before your eyes, and
you not able to save them.


But | wasn't idle all this time-not
a bit OF it, for every minutes worth
something at fire and if you give it
too much time it will beat you. I'm
der the circumstance, the first thing
was to save life, and whilst them as
had the branches did their best to
keep the fire back from them at the
third floor window, | got hold of a
rope, and in at the house opposite,
and made my way up stairs to the
third floor, which like the rest Of the
place, was used as a warehouse and
crammed full Of packages.


Beidg strange house it wasn't
easy to find your way, but | got up at
last, and opposite to the room where
the poor things were all huddled to-
gether at one window, for the fire was
gaining on them, so that unless they
were soon helped they wouldn't want
it.


"Crash! crash - Didn't | let my
little axe play round the sashes of
that window, and soon have a clear
ance, for it was nailed up, and then
when the poor things heard me and
saw the light shining on my helmet,
how they did shrek for help.


Just then I locked down at the
depth, and caught sight OF one fellow
standing below with short ladder
in his hand. which might have been of
use if the poor things had been in the
first floor; and then I.made ready TO
throw my rope across, when Just as
| was ready to let 90, and then going
to try to catch it. a thought struck rae,
and | let the coil of rope fall down IN
to tie court, 8llbut one end as | kept
hold OF, and then when the poor things
saw it let down they shrieked again,
and one of them fell back from the
window.


"Tie on that ladder" I shouted,
"and some ofyou come up" and a4e
of my mates tied the rope to one of
the ronnds, and then with two or three
more run into the house. while haul
ed away till | GOT hold of the bottom
Of the ladder for they sent the heayi-
est cnd up first, and dragged 1t in at
the window, and balancing the other
end mp continued to push it across
and into the window of the other
house across the court, and so made q
sort of a bridge, only ii was all askew
for the houses were not quite opposite
TO one another.


Just as ia done this in comes my
mate with two more men, and | sets
them to work to hold the ladder while
| took hold Of the. rope, and then
made ready to crawl across on the
thin bridge I'd rugged up. 1t was for
life and death, or | wouldn't have
Iycntured an the aIight, bending wood
/ for though a ladder set nearly upright


my be strong enough, it makes it 9
deal weaker to lay it down level anC


then 90 and crawl along it. | knew


how it would be, though, so | tied tht


rope around nv body, and made my


mate hitch the other end round a bis
hook in the wall, used for a pulley, St


that in the event of q fall, if the rope
held good, ] shouldn't have gone al


the way. They tied one end to th'
ladder, too, for to keep it steady, ant
then there | was scrambling acros


with the ladder bending and quivering


and the crowd underneath hurrying


and clipping their hands just as if


was doing bit of Blondin to pleas


them.


How thai ladder did bend; so tha
| thought it must give away, and N


90 crash into the court; but it didn
and the next moment was in the win
dow Of the burning house with tn
trembling women clinging to me.
"Now, then" I said to one mai
"you can creep across" and [ pointe
to the ladder.


II can't leave my wife," he say
holding a half fainting woman agains
e window where the smoke WASH
: Equite so dense.


You're. a trump, you are" / think;
e and then | hauls more of the roE


81
c over, and makes it fast round the POI
# womap's waist and then we laid h
5 on the ladder, and the three on tt
t other side hauled, and we held on
k the rope this end, and SO we got h
If half across, when she slipped off Il
e ladder, and hung right over the coul
W while there arose a regular Shrek
if horror. But there was people, y
a. see, at each end of the rope, so til


soon had her in at the other wihdo
or though the rope was SO tight that
m must have hurt the poor thing ter
lie ble., .,.sg.-,a... -. f--#


y Then we loosened the. rope aga
OF and we sent another woman over, a
Up she was insensible with fear, and
Id got her over all right, though she,
IN ,1:xx<oI az tho lad1ar rFho, 4 l,f