Year: 1866

that you'd expect snouidn NINA IL 0ul
| do though; and as said about fires,
don't think ever shall get to take it as
a matter of course for there is some
thing very awful in seeing fellow crea-
ture strong and hearty, and yet dying
before your eyes, and you not able to
save them.


But wasn't idle slI this time-not a
bit of it. for every minutes worth some
thing at a FIRE, and if you give it much
time it will beat you. Under the circum
stances 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 nay way up stairs to the third floor,
which, like the rest of the place, was
used as a sort of warehouse and GRAINED
full of packages. .r r-,F


Being a strange house it wash t easy





to find your way, but got up at last, and
opposite to the room where the poor
things were all now huddled together 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 nv lit
tie axe play round the saShes of that
window, and soon have clearance. for
it was nailed up, and then when the poor
things heard me, and saw the light shin
ing on my helmet. how they did shrek
for help. aFa


Just then l looked down at the depth,
and l caught sight Of fellow standing
below with 81 ort ladder in his hand.
which might have been of use if the
poor things had been in the first floor
and then made ready to throw my rope
a cross, when just as was going to let
go, and then going to try and catch it,



thought struck me, and let the coil of
the rope fall down into the court, all but.
one end as / kept hold of, and then when
the poor thing saw 1t let down they
shrieked again, and one of them fell back
from the window.


cite on that ladder" | shouted, sand
some of you come up;" and one of my
mates soon tied the rope to one of the
rounds, and then with two OF three more
run into the house. while hauled away
until l got hold of The bottom of the lad
der, for they sent the heaviest end up
first, and then dragged it in at the win
dow, and balancing the other end up con-
llnued TO push 1t across and into the WIN
dow of the other house across the court,
and so make a sort of bridge, only it was
all askew for.lhe houses were not quite
opposite to one another.


Just as I'd 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 rig
ged up. 1t was for life and death, or |
have ventured on the slight,
bending wood for though a ladder set
nearly upright may be strong enough, it
makes it deal weaker to lay it down
level and then go and crawl along it. l
know how it would be, though, so tied
The rope around my body, and made a
mate hitch the ether end round big
hook in the wall, used for pully, so that
in the event Of fall. if the rope held
ood, l shouldn't have gone all the way.
They tied one end of The ladder, too, for
too keep it steady, and then there l was
across with the ladder bend.
ing and quivering, and the crowd under
meath hurrylng and clappirg their hands
just as if l was doing bit of Blon din TO
please them. r, a, asa


How that ladder did bend so that /
thought it must give way, and me go crash
into the court; butit idn't; and the next
moment was in the window of the burn
ing house with the trembling women
clinging 10 me. osat- 81


.'Now then, +" 1 says to one man, "you
can creep across" and | pointed 10 the
ladder.


; Il can't leave my wife," be says
holding half fainting woman against
the window, where the smoke wasn't
quite so dense.


You're trump, ,you are,V j thinks;
and then | hauled more of the rope over,
and makes il fas, round the poor wom-
ans waist; and then we laid her On the
ladder, and the three on the other side
hauled. and we held on to the rope this
end, and so we got her half across, when
she slipped off the ladder, and hpngrlghl
over the court, while there arose reg
ular shrek of horror. But there was
people you see at each end of The rope,
and we loosened as the others hauled,