smoke that they were
roused up: still the principal smoke was in that portion of the church
where we were; at the other end they were not much inconvenienced, as it
found vent by the windows. What the invalids were about outside I do
not know, but they did not perceive it; probably they had left their
guard to go and carouse. At all events the flames had climbed up from
the screen and had caught a portion of the roof before the Frenchmen
knew that the church was on fire; the smoke was now exchanged for a
bright clear flame, which had already found its way through the slating,
and the prisoners were halloaing and screaming as loud as they could.
We went to the part of the church where the others were, and joined the
outcry. The voices of the people outside were now to be heard, for men
and women had been summoned by the cry of the church being on fire:
still there was no danger until the roof fell in, and that would not be
the case for perhaps an hour, although it was now burning furiously, and
the sparks and cinders were borne away to leeward, by the breeze. The
screams of the prisoners now became dreadful: frightened out of their
wits, they fully expected to be burnt alive; still the door was not
opened, although we heard a loud consultation of many voices without.

"Well," said Bramble, "I hope they really don't mean to let us burn
here; at all events, if they do, I can save the poor devils, for there's
room enough on the stairs of the tower for twice as many. At all events
we must hold on till the last moment."

As he said this we heard them outside put the key in the door, and
immediately Bramble, the boatswain, mate, and I retreated from the crowd
and gained the other portion of the church, which was most in flames.
As the door opened we hastened to the tower door, and closing it after
us, gained the staircase near the top, where we remained quiet; there
was no want of smoke there, but still we could breathe pretty freely, as
the fire from the roof was borne down by the wind from us and towards
the people, who were at the front of the church. How they disposed of
the other prisoners we do not know, as we dared not show ourselves; but
in about half an hour the whole of the roof fell down upon the pavement,
and nothing but the bare walls of the church were left standing.

After the roof fell in the light from the flames was so small that we
ventured to the top of the tower to look out. There were still many