that he would speedily be made a prisoner.

CHAPTER XVII.

MISSING.

I am minded to set down here what I afterward saw printed, concerning
the doings in other portions of Washington, the particulars of which
we were ignorant at the time.

"While the public buildings in Washington were in flames, the national
shipping, stores, and other property were blazing at the navy yard;
also the great bridge over the Potomac, from Washington city to the
Virginia shore.

"Commodore Thomas Tingey was in command of the navy yard, and, before
the battle, had received orders to set fire to the public property
there in event of the British gaining a victory, so as to prevent its
falling into the hands of the invaders. Tingey delayed the execution
of the order for four hours after the contingency had occurred.

"When, at half-past eight in the evening, he was informed that the
enemy was encamped within the city limits, near the Capitol, he
applied the torch, and property valued at about a million of dollars
was destroyed.

"The schooner Lynx was saved, and most of the metallic work at the
navy yard remained but little injured. The fine naval monument was
somewhat mutilated, but whether accidentally at the time of the
conflagration, or wantonly by the British, who went there the next day
to complete the destructive work, is an unsettled question.

"At the same time, the Long bridge over the Potomac was fired at both
ends. The Americans on the Virginia side thought a large body of
British troops were about to pass over, and fired that end to foil
them, while the British on the city side, perceiving, as they thought,
a large body of Americans about to cross over from the Virginia side,
fired the Maryland end of the bridge. The value of the entire amount
of property destroyed at Washington by the British and Americans was
estimated at about two million dollars."

While we awaited the coming of Darius Thorpe, and believing that the
city of Washington would be totally destroyed before the Britishers
had gratified their desire for vengeance, Jerry started a subject
which caused me to be more uncomfortable in mind than I had been
concerning the absence of the old sailor.

"The enemy are bent on burnin' all the government buildin's in the
city, even if they do no more, an' what about the jails?"

I was at a loss to fully understand the question; but my father
replied:

"They won't go so far as to burn the prisoners, lad. Al