's house was a-fire! Didn't we bend to the oars then with a
will!

"As we drew near, we found that all the servants and work-people about
the place were runnin' here and there, shoutin' and yellin' for ropes
and ladders. Most people seem to lose their heads in a fire. Anyhow
those people had; for nobody could find a ladder long enough to reach a
top window, where I could see that someone was waving his arms for help.
The moment we touched the beach, I jumped out o' the boat and ran up to
the house. It was blazin' fiercely in the lower rooms, and I soon found
that old Nibsworth and his daughter were inside--driven to the attics by
the fire and smoke. They soon left the window where I had first seen
the arms waving, and threw open another that was further from the fire.

"I saw that the old man was frail. The girl, they told me, was
delicate. `Get straw, hay, branches--anything soft,' I shouted, `an'
pile 'em under the window.'

"`Him's too weak for jump,' gasped a native servant.

"`Do as I bid ye,' said I, with a glare that sent 'em all off
double-quick. Happily I found a rope handy in a storehouse hard by. I
made a coil of it. You know a seaman can usually heave a coil of rope
pretty well. I made a splendid heave, an' sent it right in at the
window. The old man caught it.

"`Make fast to a bed-post,' I roared, `or a table, or chest o' drawers--
anything big.'

"He understood me, I could see, and presently he looked over the window
an' shook his head. Then I could see the face of a dark-haired,
beautiful girl. Even through the increasing smoke I could tell that she
was deadly pale, and drew back with a shudder. By this time a big pile
of straw lay under the window. I saw there was no hope of such an old
man lettin' himself or his girl down by a rope, so up I went hand over
hand. Many a time had I done the sort o' thing for a lark when I was a
youngster; but bein' out o' practice, and a good deal heavier than in
old days, I found it hard work, I can tell you. Hows'ever, I managed it
and got in at the window, an' didn't my heart give a jump when I saw
that the old chap had only made the rope fast to a light bedroom chair.
If I'd bin a stone heavier, I'd have pulled that chair right over the
window!

"`God bless you!' cried the tremblin' old man; `save my Clara!'

"There was no time for pretty speeches. I made fast the end of the rope
to the leg of a table, made a loop on the other end, threw it