ey went up to Mr Landon's house, to ask
what they ought to do. Though it was one of the coldest days, Mrs and
Miss Landon hurried down to the hut. They soon saw that, without great
care, the matter might become serious. Having left a lotion and some
medicine, with directions how to treat Rob, they were on their way, home
when they saw a thick smoke curling up into the sky above where their
house stood. Mary hurried on till she could see the house itself. Fire
was coming out of the roof.

"Oh, mother, do you go back to the Hales and ask for help, and I will
run on and see what can be done at once," she exclaimed.

As soon as Mrs Landon reached the Hales, Tommy ran to call Michael and
his two boys, and Pat Honan, who was working for them. Mr Landon and
his only son, George, was away. Mary found Biddy McCosh, the
servant-girl, wringing her hands and running about not knowing what to
do, while her youngest sister was asleep, and the next was crying,
seeing that something was the matter but not knowing what it was, Mary's
first thought was to place her little sisters in safety, the next was
how to put out the fire and save the furniture. The children she
carried, with some bedding, to an outhouse, and wrapped them up warmly.
While doing this, she sent Biddy in search of a ladder. By it she
bravely mounted to the roof. Biddy had made up too large a fire in the
stove and heated the flue. This had set fire to the wooden roof. No
water was to be had; every drop around was frozen.

"Biddy, a shovel!" cried Mary. With it she shovelled the snow over the
roof, but it did little even in checking the flames. While she was so
employed, her mother and Mrs Hale and Susan arrived. Rob followed--
nothing would stop him. Susan climbed, up to the roof, with her, and
the two girls worked bravely together. Rob said that he must go up and
help them, but his mother held him back.

"It will be his death if he goes up there," said Mrs Landon. "If you
must work, Rob, help us to get out the furniture."

While they were thus employed, Michael Hale and his two sons and Honan
and other neighbours arrived. The two girls came down from their post
of danger and the men took their places, but they could not with the
snow alone stop the flames. There seemed every chance of Mr Landon's
house being burnt down.

"I've seen salt melt snow. If there is in the house a cask of meat in
brine that may help us," exclaimed Rob.

There was