ting for us.
Bramble struck a light with his flint, and we carried it to the screen
where we had piled the straw under the seats and against the panels.

"Now then, messmates," said Bramble, "as long as the others sleep the
better; but if they waken in the confusion, bring here all the straw you
can collect, for we must not fail for want of fuel."

But of this there was no chance, for the wood of the screen and benches
was so dry that it was alight immediately. For ten minutes the other
prisoners and the guard outside did not appear to be aware of what was
going on; but at last the church was so filled with 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 burned 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 staircas