Year: 1866

0EoHG2 AANfILLk FksS.


And | don't think L ever shall get to take
II - a matter ot course, sIr-taklng it cooly's
out Of the question Here We are living
about exciting life men can Lead
Always on duty, and ready moment to
have q set-to with the worst fire that ever
b7oEe out No; l shall get TO take 1T
81 a matter of course; for it's ali dark rush
ana excitement; and L love it, sir. Flash
c. mes the news 20 us by telegraph, most
likely out comes the horses there's light
u. to the ready trimmed fire and then,
with {. tram OF sparks flying out behind US,
gs the ire roars, and the steam's getting up,
away gall0p the horses. Ay, it's - Hi Hon
hOl0 " and they clear the road for and
away We 20 full gallop down the streets, with
the horses hoots striking fire, the crowd
shouting, and the running mob increasing at
every step. There's something q it as warns
ones blood and to the danger-well, of
course, us dangerous but when we fell that
we'f djing our duty, and know what's before
Us why somehow We don't remember the
C+nger, bus 90 at 1t IL earnest.


Now. there was only last week, sitting as l
was waiting toc a call-there it was at last,
late Oh IN che night, when the streets
clear and away We tore at something like
uace Oxford street, Holborn, down the
Hill, up Skinner street, and Newgate street
-who0p and away tuN gallop, with the
horses enjoying 1t, bless you, and lashIng out
tili IL : hard TO say whether they didn't make
more sparks than the FIRE under the boiler.
We wanted 10 mOIe instructions, for there
was the red glow on ahea 81; and as We got
nearer We could almost see the sparks and
~ last we GId see them come pouring and
rolling along with the smoke, and being
heavy, hot night, hanging like a thick stag
epangled Oud just over our heads


Two engines ere there, and as Ii happened
60 late there were not 50 many people as
might have been expected but
got there | saw something particular was
the matter and this Is what 1t was-The fire
was IN quite narrow court, where they
couldn't get the escapes, and there was people
burning to death while above the shouting
Of the mob ard the cankIng of the engine
hard work you could hear their awful cries
tor help.


Now, don't you suppose tha5 l'm proud of
all this I'm gong to tell you, because I'm
not. Now, If you wire TO Cash IN and save
any ones life, why, no doubt it would be
brave and gallant, because you would have
done It out Of true comp assion for a ufering
fellow cIea,ure but then with me it's quite
diffreat. III paid much week to save
lite ami property from fire; consequently, l
only 90 what's my duty TO do.


/ runs up TO the court, axe IN hand, and
soon s1es the state IF affairs One house was
in q blame from top 10 bottom, and the flames
had .orked through into the next, and were
attacking the one opposite, while with their
escape regularly cut OF, there were about a
balf dozen people at the upper windows of
the second house, and no way of getting to
them There was 10 back door TO the place,
being IN one OF those crowded city places ::
while the door in front and stair case were
now getting into state of glow, off which
the water sputtered and streamed without
making any impression.


There was no time tor ladders or anything
else-but the sheets, and them we got stretched
out for the people to jump into, but, poor
things they dared not, and what to do
could not tell. There was the fire blazing up
higher and higher, and lighting up two OF
them old city churches that you see lost dow n
those old courts, and looking as if they d
been put there out o the way because people
didn't have any use for them now. There
they were lit up and glowing, and the pigeo s
that lived up there scared and flying round
and round the fire; there was the rush and
roar OF the wind along the court as 1t set
towards the IRE and there were the hames
IeaPing up, the CLOUDS of sparks rising. the
clouds of smoke rolling away, and the crack
Ing sputter of the states they few with
tie heat, and then slid rattling of into the
court beneath smash upon the pavement
Every now and then a louder roar and a crash
as a rafter or beam fell in, and sent the sparks
up in a whirlwind. And there all that time
were those poor creatures uttering the wild
ct piercing shrieks for help you ever heard
Now, I've heard SO much of that sort OF thing
that you'd expect shouldn't mind it but
do though /; and as said about fires don Z
think | ever shall get to take it as matter
OF course !; for here is something very awfn
II seeing iellow-creetures strong and hearty
and yet dying before your eyes, and you no
able 10 save them.


But | wasn't idle all this time-not a bi
Of 1t, for every minute's worth something a
fire. and if you give it too much time l
will beat you. Under the circumstances tn
hrst thing was to save life, and whilst then
aa had the branches did their best to keep tn
Ire back from them st the third hoor WIN
dow, got hold of a rope, and IN at che house
opposite, and made my way up stairs to tn
thIrd floor, which, like the rest OF the place
was used as a warehouse and crammed fu
u packages.


Being strange house it wasn't easy {
hnd your way, but got up at last. and OF
Iosite to the room where the poor thing
We're all now huddled together at one VIE
dow, tor the FIRE was gaining on them,
hat unless they were soon helped the
wouldn't want it.


Crash crash. Didn't l let my lttl
axe play rouni the sashes OF that window
and soon have clearance, Tor 1t was naile
up, and then when the IOor things heard m'
and saw the light shining on my helmet, hO'
they did shriek for help.


Just then looked down at the depth, an
eau hit sight of one fellow standing belo'
WIth short ladder in his hand. which Nigh
nave been Of TO the poor things had the
been IN the first flocr and then made read
70 throw my rope across. when just as wa
L. 49, - A.yv