e got to work with as little delay as possible. A
body of police kept the gathering crowd back, and soon volumes of steam
began to mingle with the black smoke of the burning building. The
superintendent was early on the scene, and he directed Frank and another
fireman to try to persuade the people in the adjoining houses to remain
quiet, and not throw their furniture over the window; but this, some of
them would not consent to do. It was plain that one or two were mad
with fear and excitement; and as the ruling passion is strong in death,
so it would seem to be by no means weak in the midst of danger from
fire; for many of them bent their whole energies to the saving of their
goods and chattels--regardless of their lives.

One stout old gentleman, in particular, was seen at a third-floor
window, heaving out chairs and stools and books, and small tables, and
clocks, and even quantities of crockery, with desperate energy, to the
great danger of the onlookers, at whose feet the various articles fell,
and were dashed to atoms!

Frank darted up the stairs that led to this man's apartments, and burst
in upon him.

"Oh! come along, fireman; help me to save my things," he exclaimed, as
he struggled with superhuman efforts to thrust a table through the
window, which was too small to permit its passage.

"Stop, sir, are you mad?" cried Frank sternly.

"Help me! help me! Oh! fireman, it will be all burned. Fire! fire!
fire!!!"

His voice rose into a fierce yell, as he strove in vain with the table.

"You're quite safe," cried Frank, holding him; "_your_ house ain't
alight, and the engines have got it almost under."

But Frank spoke to deaf ears; so he coolly lifted the man in his arms,
carried him kicking downstairs, and placed him in charge of a policeman.

Just then, a cry was raised that there were two kegs of gunpowder in one
of the shops on the ground floor. The owner of the shop came up in a
frantic state, and corroborated this statement.

"It'll blow the house to bits, sir," he said to Mr Braidwood.

"Of course it will," remarked the latter in a quiet voice. "Come here,
my man," he added, taking the shopkeeper apart from the crowd, and
questioning him closely.

Immediately after, he ordered the engines to play on a particular part
of the building.

Just then, Frank came up to the superintendent.

"There's gunpowder in the back-shop somewhere, I'm told, sir; shall I go
in for it?"

"No, Willders; yo