heat and swallow smoke, Roderick, the groom, retired to the lawn for a
few moments' respite. He was accompanied by Donald, his faithful
assistant, who was almost exhausted by his labours.

"Tonal', poy, what iss it that Muster Archie wull pe doin'?"

"I think he wull pe takin' the hoose!"

They had not time to make further inquiry, for just then the wind
changed and blew the flames towards the part of the mansion that had
been already burned, giving some hope that the other parts might yet be
saved, and calling for the redoubled efforts of all hands.

Donald was right in his conjecture. Archie was indeed "takin'" the
house! He and Eddie--having succeeded in rescuing the photographic
apparatus, and, finding that no lives were in danger, and that enough
people were already endeavouring to save the property--had calmly
devoted themselves to taking photographs of the blazing scene from
several points of view--a feat that was still possible, as daylight had
not yet been diminished in power.

The change of wind, however, brought their operations to an abrupt
close, for no idlers were tolerated. Even the women were summoned to
stand in a row, and pass buckets from a neighbouring pond to the burning
house.

The proceedings now had been reduced to some degree of order by Giles
Jackman, whose experience abroad had tended to develop his powers of
organisation.

The buckets were passed in uninterrupted succession from the pond to the
house, where Mabberly received them at the front door, that being deemed
the point where danger and the need for unusual energy began. He passed
them in through the smoke of the hall to MacRummle, who handed them to
Roderick and the butler. These last stood in the dense smoke of the
staircase, at the head of which the tall gamekeeper, Jackman and Barret,
were engaged in close and deadly conflict with the flames, intense heat,
falling _debris_, and partial suffocation. The rest of the people,
headed by the laird, who seemed to have renewed his youth and become
ubiquitous, continued the work of salvage.

By that time the party of warriors who fought the flames was increased
by the shepherds and a few small farmers who dwelt in the neighbourhood.
These being stalwart and willing men, were a valuable accession to the
force, and did good service not only in saving property, but in
extinguishing the fire. So that, before night closed in, the flames
were finally subdued, after about one-hal