me window, shrieked, and fell back half-suffocated with the smoke
which just then surrounded her. A policeman gallantly ran up the
escape, jumped into the room, gathered up the cook with great
difficulty--for she was unusually fat and the smoke very suffocating--
carried her down, bore her to the same house where Betty lay, and left
her there in violent hysterics.

As neither of them could answer questions, it could not be ascertained
whether there were any more people in the burning house. David
therefore explored it as far as was possible in the circumstances, and
much more than was safe for himself, but found no one. After nearly
choking himself, therefore, he drew aside the escape to prevent its
being burned.

When the engines came up, however, it was again brought into play, to
enable the firemen to get up with their "branches" to the upper windows.

"Try that window, Dashwood," said the officer of the station to which
Joe belonged, pointing to a window on the second floor. "There ain't
much smoke coming out."

Before he had done speaking, Joe and a comrade had pushed the escape
towards the window in question. He ascended and leaped into the room,
but could scarcely see for the smoke. Knowing that the air in a burning
house is clearer near the floor, he stooped as low as possible, and went
round the room guiding himself by the walls. Coming to a door he seized
the handle and tried to open it, but found it locked, and the handle so
hot that he was forced to let go abruptly. He seized a chair, tried to
burst it open with a blow, and shivered the chair to atoms, but did not
force the door. A powerful effort with his foot also failed. Rushing
to the window he got out on the escape, and shouted:--

"The axe, lads, look sharp and pass up the hose. We'll get at it here."

A large heavy axe was handed up by one fireman, while another let down a
rope, to which the end of the hose was attached and hauled up.

Joe seized the axe, returned to the door, and, with one blow, dashed it
open.

Flames leaped upon him, as if they had been eagerly awaiting the
opportunity, licked hungrily round his legs, and kissed his whiskers--of
which, by the way, he was rather proud; and with good reason, for they
were very handsome whiskers. But Joe cared no more for them at that
moment than he did for his boots. He was forced to retreat, however, to
the window, where Bob Clazie had already presented his branch and
commenced