a telling discharge on the fire.

"That's the way to do it," muttered Bob, as he directed the branch and
turned aside his head to avoid, as much as possible, the full volume of
the smoke.

"Let's get a breath o' fresh air," gasped Joe Dashwood, endeavouring to
squeeze past his comrade through the window.

At that moment a faint cry was heard. It appeared to come from an inner
room.

"Some one there, Joe," said Bob Clazie in a grave tone, but without
diverting his attention for an instant, from the duty in which he was
engaged.

Joe made no reply, but at once leaped back into the room, and, a second
time, felt his way round the walls. He came on another door. One blow
of the ponderous axe dashed it in, and revealed a bed-room not quite so
densely filled with smoke as the outer room. Observing a bed looming
through the smoke, he ran towards it, and struck his head against one of
the posts so violently that he staggered. Recovering he made a grasp at
the clothes, and felt that there was a human being wrapped tightly up in
them like a bundle. A female shriek followed. Joe Dashwood was not the
man to stand on ceremony in such circumstances. He seized the bundle,
straightened it out a little, so as to make it more portable, and
throwing it over his shoulder, made a rush towards the window by which
he had entered. All this the young fireman did with considerable energy
and haste, because the density of the smoke was increasing, and his
retreat might be cut off by the flames at any moment.

"Clear the way there!" he gasped, on reaching the window.

"All right," replied Bob Clazie, who was still presenting his branch
with untiring energy at the flames.

Joe passed out, got on the head of the escape, and, holding the bundle
on his shoulder with one hand, grasped the rounds of the ladder with the
other. He descended amid the cheers of the vast multitude, which had by
this time assembled to witness the fire.

As Joe hurried towards the open door of the nearest house, Betty, with
the thumbs, rushed frantically out, screaming, "Missis! oh! my! she'll
be burnt alive! gracious! help! fire! back room! first floor! oh, my!"

"Be easy, lass," cried Joe, catching the flying domestic firmly by the
arm, and detaining her despite her struggles.

"Let me go; missis! I forgot her!"

"Here she is," cried Joe, interrupting, "all safe. You come and attend
to her."

The reaction on poor Betty's feelings was so great tha