e extreme danger; the inflammable nature of the
goods contained in the huge and densely-packed warehouses; the proximity
to the shipping; the probability of a pitched battle with the flames;
the awful loss of property, and perhaps of life, if the fire should gain
the mastery, and the urgent need there is for hurrying all the
disposable force in London to the spot without delay, if the victory is
to be gained--all these circumstances and considerations act as an
unusually sharp spur to men, who, however, being already willing at all
times to do their utmost, can only force themselves to gain a few
additional moments of time by their most strenuous exertions.

In less than three minutes, then, our West-End engine sprang off, like a
rocket, at full gallop, with a crack of the whip, a snort from the
steeds, a shout from the men to clear the way, and a cheer from the
bystanders.

Two of these bystanders started off alongside of the engine, with
glittering eyes and flushed cheeks. The Bloater and Little Jim had
heard the telegraph read off, had caught the words, "Fire--Saint
Katharine's Docks," and knew well what that implied. They resolved to
witness the fight, and ran as if their lives depended on the race. It
need scarcely be said that the engine quickly left them out of sight
behind, not only because the horses were fleet, but also because various
pedestrians, into whose bosoms the boys plunged in their blind haste,
treated them rather roughly, and retarded their progress a good deal.
But nothing short of a knock-down blow could have put a full stop to the
career of those imps of the broom. After innumerable hair-breadth
escapes from "bobbies" and others, by agile bounds and desperate plunges
among horses' legs and carriage-wheels, they reached the scene of action
not _very_ long after the engine with which they had set out.

It was night. The fire had been raging for some time with terrible
fury, and had already got full possession of two large warehouses, each
five or six floors in height, all connected by means of double iron
folding-doors, and stored from basement to roof with spirits, tallow,
palm-oil, cotton, flax, jute, and other merchandise, to the extent of
upwards of two millions sterling in value. The dock fire-engines had
been brought to bear on the flames a few minutes after the fire was
discovered. The two floating-engines were paddled at once to the spot,
and their powerful hydrants poured continuo