singeing their beards or being well-nigh choked and blinded by
dense volumes of smoke, but, if driven back, always returning to the
charge. The heat at times beat on their helmets so fiercely that they
were forced to turn their faces aside and half-turn their backs on the
foe, but they _always_ kept their weapons--the "branches"--to the front,
and continued to discharge upon him tons and tons of aqueous artillery.

"Get up to the windows now; use the escape," said Mr Braidwood; and as
he said this he passed through the doorway of the burning house.

Some of the men rushed up the escape and let down a line, to which one
of the branches was made fast.

"Avast pumpin', number two!" shouted Baxmore from the midst of clouds of
smoke that were bursting out from the window.

Number two engine was stopped. Its branch was pulled up and pointed
inside _straight at the fire_; the signal given, "Down with number two!"
and a hiss was followed by volumes of steam.

The work of extinction had at last begun in real earnest. As long as
they could only stand in the street and throw water in through the
windows at haphazard, they might or might not hit the fire--and at all
events they could not attack its strong points; but now, Baxmore at one
window, and one of the men of the first engine at another, played
point-blank into the flames, and, wherever the water hit, they were
extinguished. Presently they got inside and began to be able to see
through the smoke; a blue glimmer became visible, the branch was
pointed, and it was gone. By this time the second floor had partly
given way, and fire was creeping down the rafters to the eaves of the
house. Baxmore observed this; and pointed the branch straight up. The
fire at that part was put out, and a heavy shower of water fell back on
the fireman, drenching him to the skin.

The attack had now become general. The firemen swarmed in at the doors
and windows the moment that it was possible for a human being to breathe
the smoke and live. One of the engines attached two additional lengths
of hose, dragged the branch through the first floor to the back of the
house, got upon an outhouse, in at a back window, and attacked the foe
in rear. On the roof, Frank and Dale were plying their hatchets, their
tall figures sharply defined against the wintry sky, and looking more
gigantic than usual. The enemy saved them the trouble of cutting
through, however, for it suddenly burst upwards, an