of Virginia's room, but she was dreaming of being chased by bears, and
only turned uneasily in her sleep.

The old professor, on his way to the kitchen, noticed that it seemed
strangely light outside. He shuffled to the door and looked out.

"Ach Himmel!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "Somebody vill shust in his bed
be burnt, if old Johann does not haste make!"

Not waiting to close the door behind him, or even to catch up something
to protect his old bald head from the intense cold of the winter night,
he ran out across the garden. His shuffling feet, in their flapping old
carpet slippers, forgot their rheumatism, and his shoulders dropped the
weight of their seventy years. He ran like a boy across the meadow,
through the gap in the fence, and down the hill to the cabin by
the spring.

All one side of it was in flames. The fire was curling around the front
door and bursting through the windows with fierce cracklings. Dashing
frantically around to the back door, he threw himself against it,
shouting to know if any one was within. A blinding rush of smoke was his
only answer as he backed away from the overpowering heat, but something
fell across the door-sill in a limp little heap. It was Jonesy.

Dragging the child to a safe distance from the burning building, he ran
back, fearing that some one else might be in danger, but this time the
flames met him at the door, and it was impossible to go in. His hoarse
shouting roused the servants, but by the time they reached the cabin the
roof had fallen in, and all danger of the fire spreading to other
buildings was over.