and crackling of
the flames we could hear the shouting of the mob and voices shrieking
out more than crying, "Jump! Jump!" Everything, though, was one whirl
of confusion; and I felt half-stifled with the terrible heat and the
choking fumes that came up between the boards and beneath the door.

It was rapidly blinding as well as confusing us; and in those exciting
moments leadership seemed to have gone, and if even I had made a bold
start the others would have followed.

At last after what seemed to have been a long space of time, though it
was doubtless only moments, Uncle Jack cried fiercely:

"Look: the floor's beginning to burn. You, Dick, out first, Cob shall
follow; and we'll drop the two tin boxes to you. You must save them.
Now! Are you ready?"

"Yes," cried Uncle Dick, climbing on a chair, and thrusting his arm out
of the window.

As he did so, there was a puff like some gigantic firework, and a large
cloud of fiery smoke rose up full of tiny sparks; and he shrank back
with an ejaculation of pain.

"Hot, Dick?" cried Uncle Jack almost savagely. "Go on, lad; it will be
hotter here. In five minutes the floor will be burned through."

"Follow quickly, Cob," cried Uncle Dick; and then he paused, for there
was a curious rushing noise, the people yelled, and there were shrieks
and cries, and above all, a great trampling of feet.

We could see nothing for the flame and smoke that rose before the
window; and just then the roar of the flames seemed to increase, and our
position became unendurable.

But still that was a curious rushing noise in the air, a roar as of
thunder and pouring, hissing rain, and a railway train rushing by and
coming nearer and nearer every moment; and then, as Uncle Dick was about
to step forth into the blaze and leap into the dam, Uncle Jack caught
him and held him back.

Almost at the same moment the rush and roar increased a hundred-fold,
confusing and startling us, and then, as if by magic, there was a
tremendous thud against the walls that shook the foundations; a fierce
hissing noise, and one moment we were standing in the midst of glowing
light, the next moment we were to our waists in water dashed against the
opposite wall, and all was black darkness.

As we struggled to our feet the water was sinking, but the horrible
crashing, rushing noise was still going on--water, a huge river of water
was rushing right through our factory threatening to sweep it away, and
then