g them
or for the firemen to get at their work. If the burning truss should
fall on this side, as it most certainly would, the entire portion of
the town that lay before the wind would be irretrievably lost. These
reflections reduced the timid to such a state of mind that every new
flash seemed to them the inevitable fire. That nobody could see more
than one side of the tower at a time tended to increase the
misapprehension. It was curious, but from all sides the cry was heard:
"Where? Where?" Storm and thunder prevented mutual understanding.
Everybody wanted to see for himself. Wild excitement prevailed.

"Where did it strike?" asked Apollonius, who had just arrived. "On the
side toward Brambach," answered many voices. Apollonius pushed his way
through the crowd. With long strides he hastened toward the tower
steps. He had come considerably in advance of his more deliberate
associates. In the tower his questions were to no purpose. The people
in the tower thought that though the lightning had struck it had not
set fire to anything; still they were on the point of gathering
together their best things to flee from the danger. Only the
journeyman, whom he found occupied at the stove, remained
self-possessed. Apollonius hastened with lanterns to the truss, to
hang them there. The ladder steps did not tremble beneath his feet; he
was in too great haste to notice it. There seemed to be no trace of
incipient fire in the truss. Neither the odor of sulphur, which
denotes fire by lightning, nor ordinary smoke was perceptible.
Apollonius heard his associates on the steps. He called to them that
he was there. Just at that moment a blue light flashed through all the
tower-windows followed immediately by a tremendous crash of thunder.
Apollonius stood for an instant, stunned. If he had not unconsciously
caught hold of a beam, he would have fallen to the ground from the
shock. A thick fume of sulphur took his breath away. He sprang to the
nearest window to obtain fresh air. The workmen farther from where it
had struck had not been stunned, but stood motionless with fright on
the topmost flight of steps. "Come!" cried Apollonius. "Quick! the
water! The sprinkler! It must have struck on this side--that's where
the pressure and the smell of sulphur came from. Quick, water and the
sprinkler at the door!" The master-carpenter, standing on the ladder
steps, called, coughing, "But the smoke!" "Quick!" replied Apollonius,
"the door will giv