so soon to be enacted
there, by the terrible actor, Fire! The most fearful and tragic actor
on the hull stage of life.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

Thus did I scream as I throwed on my clothes, I thought at the top of
my voice, but I don't spoze it wuz much above a whisper, for Bildad's
folks didn't hear me in the next room, through the thin wall, till I
rushed to their door and knocked, cryin' out:

"Bildad, git up! Josiah is afire!"

"What you say?" he called back.

"Dreamland is afire! Josiah is in danger! But I will save him or
perish!" And I ketched up a two quart pail of water, and rushed out
doors. You can't recall your exact thoughts at such a time, yet I have
a ricellection of thinkin'--Josiah is small boneded, and two quarts of
water might put him out if he had jest got afire. But where wuz the
idol of my soul? I spoze every woman on Coney Island thought them
thoughts whether she remembers it or not. Where is _he_? Will he
escape? And men wuz thinkin', Where is _she_? Is she safe? Love puts
the question, and Fear and Horrer answers it.

As I rushed along cryin' Fire! winders wuz throwed up, doors opened,
and in less time than I can tell on't, Surf Avenue wuz full of people.
Frenzied cries and shouts rung through the air. And as the flames riz
higher and higher, so did the shrieks and yells of the crowd, which
had swelled to a mob; bells clanged, fire wagons raced and jangled.

Quicker than any seen wuz ever changed at a theatre the Quiet Night
wuz turned into Pandemonium. Men, wimmen and children rushin' every
which way--police--firemen--fire bells clangin'--men shoutin'--wimmen
shriekin'--and every minute the flames increased!

The firemen did what they could, they worked like giants, but the
element they wuz workin' aginst wuz more powerful than man. Anon
burnin' timbers fell with a crash, clouds of smoke wropped us round
and choked us, the firemen sent up streams of water that turned to
mountains of steam.

I wuz carried by the screechin' mob hither and yon with no will of my
own. Another element wuz added to the dretful seen. Someone cried
out:

"The wild animals are loose!"

Wimmen fainted, and men, wimmen and children screamed louder than
ever, expectin' any minute a tiger or lion or leapord to rush at 'em,
or a maddened elephant to tromple 'em down.

They said the sight at that time in the animal house wuz enough to
turn the soundest brain, for to save the animals they had to let 'em
loose. And