Another moment, and two men dashed round the corner, yelling at the top
of their voices. Gasping for breath, they named the locality. Almost
before they had done so, two policemen were on the spot, and in another
moment the fire-escape was in motion. Instructed by the conductor, the
two strangers and the policemen lent their willing aid. Before ten
minutes had passed, the tall machine was run up to a burning house, the
lower part of which was blazing; while, from the upper windows, frantic
cries were heard for help, and sundry figures in dishabille were seen
waving their arms. The escape was run up, and one after another the
inmates were rescued from their perilous position.
While this scene was enacting Frank was pursuing his way to the Regent
Street Fire Station; but news of the fire got there before him. He
arrived just in time to don his helmet and take his place on the engine.
Away they went, and in ten minutes after the arrival of the
fire-escape, they dashed up, almost running into an engine which
appeared from an opposite direction.
The fire was blazing brightly by this time, and the whole neighbourhood
was in a state of commotion and excitement.
The two engines were got to work with as little delay as possible. A
body of police kept the gathering crowd back, and soon volumes of steam
began to mingle with the black smoke of the burning building. The
superintendent was early on the scene, and he directed Frank and another
fireman to try to persuade the people in the adjoining houses to remain
quiet, and not throw their furniture over the window; but this, some of
them would not consent to do. It was plain that one or two were mad
with fear and excitement; and as the ruling passion is strong in death,
so it would seem to be by no means weak in the midst of danger from
fire; for many of them bent their whole energies to the saving of their
goods and chattels--regardless of their lives.
One stout old gentleman, in particular, was seen at a third-floor
window, heaving out chairs and stools and books, and small tables, and
clocks, and even quantities of crockery, with desperate energy, to the
great danger of the onlookers, at whose feet the various articles fell,
and were dashed to atoms!
Frank darted up the stairs that led to this man's apartments, and burst
in upon him.
"Oh! come along, fireman; help me to save my things," he exclaimed, as
he struggled with superhuman efforts to thrust a table through the
window, which was too small to permit its passage.
"Stop, sir, are you mad?" cried Frank sternly.
"Help me! help me! Oh! fireman, it will be all burned. Fire! fire!
fire!!!"
His voice rose into a fierce yell, as he strove in vain with the table.
"You're quite safe," cried Frank, holding him; "_your_ house ain't
alight, and the engines have got it almost under."
But Frank spoke to deaf ears; so he coolly lifted the man in his arms,
carried him kicking downstairs, and placed him in charge of a policeman.
Just then, a cry was raised that there were two kegs of gunpowder in one
of the shops on the ground floor. The owner of the shop came up in a
frantic state, and corroborated this statement.
"It'll blow the house to bits, sir," he said to Mr Braidwood.
"Of course it will," remarked the latter in a quiet voice. "Come here,
my man," he added, taking the shopkeeper apart from the crowd, and
questioning him closely.
Immediately after, he ordered the engines to play on a particular part
of the building.
Just then, Frank came up to the superintendent.
"There's gunpowder in the back-shop somewhere, I'm told, sir; shall I go
in for it?"
"No, Willders; you couldn't find it in the smoke. Take the branch, lad,
and get up into that window above the door."
Frank sprang to obey. At the same time, Mr Braidwood suddenly seized a
horse-cloth, and dashed in through the smoke. In a few seconds, he
returned with one of the kegs of powder in his arms. Giving it to one
of his men, he darted in again, and speedily re-issued with the second
keg of powder, amid the frantic cheering of the crowd. Having done
this, he continued to superintend the men until the fire was got under,
which was soon accomplished, having been attacked promptly and with
great vigour soon after it broke out.
"You needn't wait, Mr Dale," said Braidwood, going up to his foreman.
"It's all safe now. I'll keep one engine; but you and your lads get off
to your beds as fast as ye can."
Dale obeyed, and a few minutes after, the engine was galloping
homewards.
Willie Willders was in the station when it arrived, and so was Fred
Auberly, who, having accompanied Willie, had got into such an
interesting talk with the sub-engineer in charge, that he forgot time,
and was still in animated conversation when the wheels were heard in the
distance.
The three were out at the door in an instant.
On came the engine, the horses' feet and the wheels crashing harshly in
the silent night. They came round the corner with a sharp swing.
Either the driver had become careless, or he was very sleepy that night,
for he dashed against an iron post that stood at the corner, and carried
off two wheels. The engine went full thirty yards on the two
off-wheels, before it came to the ground, which it did at last with a
terrific crash, throwing the firemen violently to the ground.
The sub-engineer and Fred and Willie sprang forward in great alarm; but
the most of the men leaped up at once, and one or two of them laughed,
as if to show that they had got no damage. But one of them lay extended
on the pavement. It needed not a second glance to tell that it was
Frank Willders.
"Lift him gently, lads," said Dale, who was himself severely bruised.
"Stop," exclaimed Frank in a low voice; "I've got no harm except to my
left leg. It's broken, I think. There's no use of lifting me till you
get a cab. I'll go straight home, if--" He fainted as he spoke.
"Run for a cab, Willie," said Fred Auberly.
Willie was off in a moment. At the same instant, a messenger was
despatched for Dr Offley, and in a short time after that, Frank
Willders was lying on his mother's sofa, with his left leg broken below
the knee.