ed to open the window, but who had
fallen down senseless. As he raised the body, the fire, which had been
smothered from want of air when all the windows and doors were closed,
now burst out, and he was scorched before he could get on the ladder
again, with the body in his arms; but he succeeded in getting it down
safe. Perceiving that the clothes were on fire, he held them till they
were extinguished, and then, for the first time, discovered that he had
brought down the daughter of the intendant of the forest. There was no
time to be lost, so Edward carried her into the stable and left her
there, still insensible, upon the straw, in a spare stall; while he
hastened to alarm the house. The watering-butt for the horses was
outside the stable; Edward caught up the pail, filled it, and hastening
up the ladder, threw it into the room, and then descended for more.

By this time Edward's continual calls of "Fire! Fire!" had aroused the
people of the house, and also of the cottages adjacent. Mr
Heatherstone came out half dressed, and with horror on his countenance.
Phoebe followed screaming, and the other people now hastened from the
cottages.

"Save her! My daughter is in the room!" exclaimed Mr Heatherstone.
"Oh, save her, or let me do so!" cried the poor man in agony; but the
fire burst out of the window in such force, that any attempt would have
been in vain.

"Oswald," cried Edward to him, "let the people pass the water up to me
as fast as possible. They can do no good by looking on."

Oswald set the men to the work, and Edward was now supplied with water
so fast that the fire began to diminish. The window was now
approachable, and a few more buckets enabled him to put one foot into
the room, and then every moment the flames and smoke decreased.

Meanwhile it would be impossible to describe the agony of the intendant,
who would have rushed up the ladder into the flames had he not been held
by some of the men. "My daughter! My child!--burnt--burnt to death!"
exclaimed he, clasping his hands.

At that moment a voice in the crowd called out, "There were four burnt
at Arnwood!"

"God of heaven!" exclaimed Mr Heatherstone, falling down into a swoon,
in which state he was carried to a neighbouring cottage.

Meanwhile the supply of water enabled Edward to put out the fire
altogether; the furniture of the room was burnt, but the fire had
extended no farther; and when Edward was satisfied that there was no
mor