habitations
in flames.

There was a lonely house standing somewhat disjointed from the town,
some poor laborer's abode. Rapping at the door, Israel, pipe in mouth,
begged the inmates for a light for his tobacco.

"What the devil," roared a voice from within, "knock up a man this time
of night to light your pipe? Begone!"

"You are lazy this morning, my friend," replied Israel, "it is daylight.
Quick, give me a light. Don't you know your old friend? Shame! open the
door."

In a moment a sleepy fellow appeared, let down the bar, and Israel,
stalking into the dim room, piloted himself straight to the fire-place,
raked away the cinders, lighted his tobacco, and vanished.

All was done in a flash. The man, stupid with sleep, had looked on
bewildered. He reeled to the door, but, dodging behind a pile of
bricks, Israel had already hurried himself out of sight.

"Well done, my lion," was the hail he received from Paul, who, during
his absence, had mustered as many pipes as possible, in order to
communicate and multiply the fire.

Both boats now pulled to a favorable point of the principal pier of the
harbor, crowded close up to a part of which lay one wing of the
colliers.

The men began to murmur at persisting in an attempt impossible to be
concealed much longer. They were afraid to venture on board the grim
colliers, and go groping down into their hulls to fire them. It seemed
like a voluntary entrance into dungeons and death.

"Follow me, all of you but ten by the boats," said Paul, without
noticing their murmurs. "And now, to put an end to all future burnings
in America, by one mighty conflagration of shipping in England. Come on,
lads! Pipes and matches in the van!"

He would have distributed the men so as simultaneously to fire different
ships at different points, were it not that the lateness of the hour
rendered such a course insanely hazardous. Stationing his party in front
of one of the windward colliers, Paul and Israel sprang on board.

In a twinkling they had broken open a boatswain's locker, and, with
great bunches of oakum, fine and dry as tinder, had leaped into the
steerage. Here, while Paul made a blaze, Israel ran to collect the
tar-pots, which being presently poured on the burning matches, oakum and
wood, soon increased the flame.

"It is not a sure thing yet," said Paul, "we must have a barrel of
tar."

They searched about until they found one, knocked out the head and
bottom, and stood i