When London Burned : a Story of Restoration Times and the Great Fire by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
page 281 of 482 (58%)
page 281 of 482 (58%)
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round. Hitherto he had been so scorched by the flame and smothered by
the smoke that it was with difficulty he had kept his attention upon what he was doing, and would doubtless, in another minute, have fallen senseless. The plunge into the sea seemed to restore his faculties, and as he came up he looked eagerly to see how far success had attended his efforts. He saw with delight that the bow of the fire-ship was thirty or forty feet distant from the side of the _Henrietta_ and her stern half that distance. Two or three of the sails of the man-of-war had caught fire, but a crowd of seamen were beating the flames out of two of them while another, upon which the fire had got a better hold, was being cut away from its yard. As he turned to swim to the side of the _Henrietta_, three or four ropes fell close to him. He twisted one of these round his body, and, a minute later, was hauled up into the waist. He was saluted with a tremendous cheer, and was caught up by three or four strong fellows, who, in spite of his remonstrances, carried him up on to the poop. Prince Rupert was standing on the top of the ladder. "Nobly done, Sir Cyril!" he exclaimed. "You have assuredly saved the _Henrietta_ and all our lives. A minute later, and we should have been on fire beyond remedy. But I will speak more to you when we have finished with the Dutchman on the other side." CHAPTER XIV |
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