"Look out!" suddenly called Vincent. "They're coming right for us!"

The maddened creatures, frightened by a puff of smoke that surged down
from the now blazing roof, charged, like a small troop of cavalry,
right at the two boys and the man.

"Down into the stairway!" cried Bert, making a dash for the place they
had just come up. They reached it just in time. The horses thundered
past, huddled together, avoiding by instinct the narrow, steep stairs,
down which, had they stumbled, they would have met their deaths.

"Now's our chance!" cried Bert. "While they're in the far end of the
barn!"

"What are you going to do?" asked Vincent.

"Open those other big doors!"

The barn had two sets of large doors. Only one pair was used, however,
those up to which the elevated driveway led. The others were to give
air to the place, when hay was being stored away, and they opened
right into the cow-yard, ten feet below, with a sheer drop over the
threshold.

"Do you think those horses will jump out there?" asked the constable.

"I think they will, rather than burn to death."

"But the jump will break their legs."