ld Liz with the blanket. Sam was lowered first
to the roof of the tenement which we have said was already on fire, and
stood ready to receive Liz. She was safely let down and the sheet-rope
was detached.

"We'll no mak' a bundle o' _you_," said David, turning to Susy; "jist
putt it roond yer waist."

When she was safely lowered, Tommy was grasped by an arm and let down
till his feet rested on Sam's head, whence he easily leaped to the roof,
and then David let himself drop. To reach a place of temporary safety
they had now to walk on the top of a partition of old brick, about eight
inches wide, a fall from which, on one side, meant death, on the other
side, broken bones at the least. They knew that a loose brick or a
false step might be fatal, but there was no alternative.

Sam turned to his daughter: "Ye could never cross that, Susy?" he said.

Although no coward, the poor girl shrank from the giddy ledge, which was
rendered more dangerous and terrible by being now surrounded by
occasional puffs of smoke and clouds of steam from the water of a dozen
hydrants which by that time were playing into the raging flames. To add
to the horrors of the situation, beams and masses of masonry were heard
occasionally crashing in the interior of the building.

Sam advanced to take Susy in his arms, but Laidlaw stepped between them.

"Leave her t' me," he said; "the auld woman's lichter, an' ye're no sae
strong as me."

Saying which, he lifted the girl in his left arm as if she had been but
a little child, and mounted the parapet keeping his right arm free to
balance himself or cling to anything if need be. Sam, who was quite
equal to the emergency, took old Liz into his arms and followed, but
cast one glance back at Tommy.

"Never mind me, Sam," cried the boy, who, having got over his first
panic, rose heroically to the occasion.

The crowd below saw what they were attempting, and gave them a cheer of
encouragement, yet with bated breath, as if they dreaded the issue.

A few seconds and they were past that danger, but still stood on the
burning house at another part of the roof. Here, being suddenly
drenched by spray from one of the engines, Sam and Tommy made for the
shelter of a chimney-stack. As there was not room behind it for more,
Laidlaw carried his light burden to another stack, and looked hastily
round to see what next could be done. Just at that moment there was a
wild cheer below, in the midst of which a