e," cried the Captain, turning back on hearing
Gillie's yell of despair.

The boy was released, and both flew down the Court, on the pavement of
which the snake-like water-hose lay spirting at its seams.

"It's in the cabin," said the Captain, in a low deep voice, as he dashed
into the Court, where a crowd of firemen were toiling with cool, quiet,
yet tremendous energy. No crowd interrupted them here, save the few
frantic inhabitants of the Court, who were screaming advice and doing
nothing; but no attention whatever was paid to them. A foreman of the
brigade stood looking calmly upwards engaged in low-toned conversation
with a brother fireman, as if they were discussing theories of the
picturesque and beautiful with special application to chimney-cans,
clouds of smoke, and leaping tongues of fire.

Immense engine power had been brought to bear, and one of the gigantic
floating-engines of the Thames had got near enough to shower tons of
water over the buildings, still it was a matter of uncertainty whether
the fire could be confined to the Court where it had originated.

The result of the foreman's quiet talk was that the brother-fireman
suddenly seized a nozzle from a comrade, and made a dash at the door
leading up to "the cabin." Flames and smoke drove him back instantly.

It was at this moment that Captain Wopper came on the scene. Without a
moment's hesitation he rushed towards the same door. The foreman seized
his arm.

"It's of no use, sir, you can't do it."

The Captain shook him off and sprang in. A few seconds and he rushed
out choking, scorched, and with his eyes starting almost out of their
sockets.

"It is of no use, sir," remonstrated the foreman, "besides, the people
have all bin got out, I'm told."

"No, they 'aven't," cried Mrs White, coming up at the moment,
frantically wringing the last article of linen on which she had been
professionally engaged, "Mrs Roby's there yet."

"All right, sir," said the foreman, with that quiet comforting
intonation which is peculiar to men of power, resource, and
self-reliance, "come to the back. The escape will be up immediately.
It couldn't get down the Court, owin' to some masonry that was piled
there, and had to be sent round."

Quick to understand, the Captain followed the fireman, and reached the
back of the house, on the riverside, just as the towering head of the
escape emerged from a flanking alley.

"This way. The small window on the right