sick people or children are left behind. There, the flames have passed the
cross lane already; the corner house is on fire."

For quarter of an hour the tars labored assiduously; and many a bedridden
old woman, or a forgotten baby, did they bring out. Fortunately at the end
of the lane was an open space of some extent, and here piles of household
goods and helpless people were gathered.

At the end of a quarter of an hour they heard a deep tramp, and the naval
brigade, led by Captain Peel, filed up through the lane. The sailors burst
into a cheer as they saw their friends arrive, and these responded upon
seeing some of their comrades at work carrying the sick and aged. Dick at
once made his way to Captain Peel, and reported briefly that the fire was
in the first place lighted with the purpose of burning him and his party;
but that they had escaped, and had since been at work helping the
inhabitants.

"Very well," Captain Peel said. "You can give details afterward; at
present we have got to try and stop the flames. It seems a large block of
fire."

"It is, sir. It extends across several lanes; there must be a couple of
hundred houses in flames, and I fear, from what we have seen in the lane
we have been working in, a considerable loss of life."

"Mr. Percival," Captain Peel said to one of his officers, "take your
company and knock down or blow up all the houses on this side of that lane
there. Mr. Wilkinson, you take number two company, and do the same with
the lane to the right. The rest follow me. March!"