clothes.

"That cottage down the road."

"That's bad indeed; but not quite so bad as a vessel foundering or burning
at sea. Anybody else in the house awake?"

"I don't know. Yes, there! I hear steps and voices."

They hurried into the hall and down the stairs. Mr. Dinsmore was in the
lower hall giving directions to the men-servants, who were all collected
there.

"Haste! Solon, Tom, Dick--all of you!" he was saying, "gather up all the
large buckets about the house, ropes too and ladders, and follow me as
fast as you can. Ah, captain! and Donald too! You have seen the fire, I
suppose? Will you come with me? There'll be work enough for us all no
doubt. We've no engine in this neighborhood."

"Certainly, sir!"

"That's the port we are bound for." And each catching up a bucket they all
three set off at full speed in the direction of the burning house, several
of the negroes following close at their heels.

They found a crowd already gathered there--men and women, black and white.
Some were carrying out furniture from the lower rooms, some bringing
water in buckets from a spring near by, others contenting themselves with
looking on and giving orders which nobody obeyed.

"I see the house will have to go," Mr. Dinsmore said. "Are the family all
out of it?"

"All but an old colored woman," some one replied, "old Aunt Betsy. Nobody
thought of her in time, and now it's too late, for the stairs are burned
away. Hark!" as a crash was heard, "there's the last of them."

"What! will you leave a helpless old woman to be burnt alive?" cried
Captain Raymond. "Where is she?"

"Yonder!" cried several voices; "see, she's at the window! and she's
screaming for help!" as a wild shriek rent the air, a black face full of
terror and despair showing itself at an upper window, where the fire's
lurid light fell full upon it.

"Oh, ain't dar nobody to help ole Aunt Betsy?" she screamed, stretching
out her wrinkled arms and toil-worn hands in passionate entreaty; "will
you ebery one ob you leave de po' ole woman to burn up in dis awful fiah?
Isn't ye got no pity in yo' souls! Oh, somebody come an' help de po' ole
woman to git down 'fore she burn all up!"

"A rope!" shouted the captain, "quick! quick! a rope!"

"Heah, massa cap'n!" answered Solon close it hand. "Ise brung it jus' in
time."

"What can you do with a rope, Raymond?" asked Donald.

"Make an effort to save her with the help of that lightning-rod."

"You risk your