kept its own distinctness above all other noises; and with the
fire-bells, the saving and losing of household goods, and the trampling
and talking of the crowd, there were noises not a few. Dennis and I were
together, for Alister had business to do, but he had given us leave to
gratify our curiosity, adding a kindly warning to me to take care of
myself, and keep "that feather-brained laddie," Dennis, out of danger's
way. We had no difficulty in reaching the point of interest, for,
ludicrous to say, the fire was in Water Street; that is, it was in the
street running parallel with the river and the wharves, the main
business street of Georgetown. We were soon in the thick of the crowd,
protecting our eyes from the falling fragments of burning wood, and
acquiring information. That heap of smoking embers--so we were
told--was the big store where it first broke out; the house yonder,
where the engines were squirting away, and the fire putting tongues of
flame out of the windows at them, as if in derision, cost two thousand
dollars--"Ah! there goes the roof!"

It fell in accordingly; and, in the sudden blaze of its destruction, I
saw a man come riding along, before whom the people made way, and then
some one pulled me back and said,

"The governor."

He stopped near us, and beckoned some one to his side.

"Is he coming?"

"He's here, sir;" and then into the vivid glare stepped a tall,
graceful, and rather fantastical-looking young gentleman in a white
jacket, and with a long fair moustache, who raised his hand with a quick
salute, and then stood at the governor's stirrup.

"I know that fellow, I'm sure," said Dennis.

"Royal Engineers officer," said my neighbour. "Mark my words, that means
gunpowder," and the good man, who was stout and steaming with
perspiration, seemed to feel like one who has asked for a remedy for
toothache and been answered by the dentist--"Gunpowder is what it means!
And if our governor had sent for a cobbler, _he'd_ have said, 'Nothing
like leather,' and mended the hose of the steam-pump. And that store of
mine, sir, didn't cost a cent less than--"

But I was watching the engineer officer, and catching fragments of the
rapid consultation.

"Quite inevitable, sir, in my opinion."

"Very good. You have full powers--instruct--colonel--magazine--do your
best."

The engineer officer had very long white hands, which I noticed as one
went rapidly to his forehead, whilst with the other he caress