Year: 1878




the water just beyond me. On scud
ded round the bend of the bank, the
stream hurrying me down, and now
have opened up the town reach, and the
burning and half-demClished building il
cracking and roaring half a mile off.
The smoke, dotted with million sparks,
flies up to heaven, while screams and
cries and the roar OF falling timbert
ascend with them to the lurid sky. Those
tiny jets Of water only serve to aggra.
vate the thirst in that fiery throat, and
not to quench it no Imlp can live neal
such a fire as that shs heat even in
my gig was soon felt distinctly, and the
two planks beneath my feet winked to
each other in the glare, and glistened
side by side at the thought OF what was
coming.


A yell, a roar Four people had got
upon the crumbling psrapet, some feet
above the stable-roofs, and were crying
and shrieking for assistance. Twenty
men at once rushed in to offer ropes
and help. What could they doP The
unhappy inmates, clad in evening dress,
looked weird and unearthly in the fiery
glare. One was lady, three were men.
Taking off their coats they knotted them
by the sleeves, and let down the lady to
the lower roof in safety. Such a cheer
arose for this. Well done, brave men,
well done watched and waited. Pull.
ing in, the heat was great. Ipulled away
to the opposite wing, abutting on the
river, now almost wholly clad in fame
and smoke, but still itself unburning.


What is that /? Can it be man OF
woman kneeling there, and unobserved
amid the shrouding smoke by all the
rest, who are gazing at the gallant men
around the stablesp The soldiers had
arrived and were doing good service
but no one else perceived the solitary
form wrapped in an ulster coat, and
trembling on the wall above the river.


Not a moment was to be lost. I pull
ed in hastily.


Leap" shouted, "leap I"


As spoke 1 rose up in the boat. The
planks winked once more and ratified.
Jump!" I yelled in my excitement.


One look to heaven-a glance down to
the swiftly-running river, and the per-
son l addressed leaped feet first. Un.
thinkingly, 1 moved suddenly the light
gig rocked. In vain J. attempted to re.
s2G e2Eef @ RH The beat @ tRR9sa
covered with debris.


The two planks started after me to-
gether from beneath the thwarts.


I sank and as 1 did so thought Of
Rosie, and made up my mind to die, if
must; but I struggled manfully for
life the while.


When one is unwillingly under water
the brain seems to become buster than
at all other times. I know not why,
but in that half.minute or so that 1 was
underneath 1 saw many acts of my life.
circumstances looked, from my mental
point of view, very different from what
they had to my bodily eyes. [ had
plenty of time to repent my rashness, to
utter prayer and to forgive my ene-
mics and then struggled, knocked my
head, half sank again, put out my right
arm and grasped something. 1t was q
plank.


Seeing body rising up close by, l
raised the head. The person / had
tried to save was sensible, evidently.


I was delighted to find that he, too,
was floating on plank, the twin sup.
porter of my arm !; and how those good
friends tossed about, and drove ur
against each other in sheer delight, az
we all foated away fast downstream
together, battles description.


impelled my plank toward the other
and, no doubt aided by that wondrouf
law of attraction and sympathy which
exists even in wood, succeeded in get
ting close to my companion. Leaning
my arms upon the trusty plank,
managed to support the form near me
but all this time we neither of us spoke
word, nor could we discern eacl
others features. The fast-subsidine
fire was far behind us now.


The steady planks kept floating will
us toward the bank, but I was not YER.
anxious to go ashore just then, as th'
| river-sides we're steep, and certain curl
ing eddies did not look attractive.


The moon had been obscured b,
heavy clouds; but we could discern tn,
stones which here and there rose III
from out the water from shoal in mid
stream. We should soon be in safety
The pIanks apparently thought other
wise. They bobbed about and grey
very impatient to reach the shore.


There's distant thunder A storm i
coming up. Ne, it must be train pass
ing the bridge above. No; the nois
increases the sound is borne continu
ously on the wind. The planks go
very restless now. The banks eve
came closer to us, but the stream ran al
the faster. The noise was getting loude
every minute.


knew what it was at last-I knew to
well-it was the mill weir


! If the sluice were open to the hug
over-shot wheel our doom was sealed
Nothing much short of miracle coul
save us. Striking out for the bank,
called to my companion to do the same
, but encumbered with the ulster coat b
progress was not great.


L n 4 L. L L.