He sprang from his bed, rushed to the window, saw that a cottage not far away, which he had noticed in riding by, was in flames. The next moment he had snatched up a few articles of clothing and was at the captain's side shaking him vigorously. "Up, Raymond! up, man! There's a fire and we'll be needed to help put it out." "What is it? breakers ahead, do you say?'" muttered the captain, only half awake. "Fire! fire!" repeated Keith. "Fire? where?" and the captain sprang up, now wide awake, and began hurrying on his clothes. "That cottage down the road." "That's bad indeed; but not quite so bad as a vessel foundering or burning at sea. Anybody else in the house awake?" "I don't know. Yes, there! I hear steps and voices." They hurried into the hall and down the stairs. Mr. Dinsmore was in the lower hall giving directions to the men-servants, who were all collected there. "Haste! Solon, Tom, Dick--all of you!" he was saying, "gather up all the large buckets about the house, ropes too and ladders, and follow me as fast as you can. Ah, captain! and Donald too! You have seen the fire, I suppose? Will you come with me? There'll be work enough for us all no doubt. We've no engine in this neighborhood." "Certainly, sir!" "That's the port we are bound for." And each catching up a bucket they all three set off at full speed in the direction of the burning house, several of the negroes following close at their heels. They found a crowd already gathered there--men and women, black and white. Some were carrying out furniture from the lower rooms, some bringing water in buckets from a spring near by, others contenting themselves with looking on and giving orders which nobody obeyed. "I see the house will have to go," Mr. Dinsmore said. "Are the family all out of it?" "All but an old colored woman," some one replied, "old Aunt Betsy. Nobody thought of her in time, and now it's too late, for the stairs are burned away. Hark!" as a crash was heard, "there's the last of them." "What! will you leave a helpless old woman to be burnt alive?" cried Captain Raymond. "Where is she?" "Yonder!" cried several voices; "see, she's at the window! and she's screaming for help!" as a wild shriek rent the air, a black face full of terror and despair showing itself at an upper window, where the fire's lurid light fell full upon it. "Oh, ain't dar nobody to help ole Aunt Betsy?" she screamed, stretching out her wrinkled arms and toil-worn hands in passionate entreaty; "will you ebery one ob you leave de po' ole woman to burn up in dis awful fiah? Isn't ye got no pity in yo' souls! Oh, somebody come an' help de po' ole woman to git down 'fore she burn all up!" "A rope!" shouted the captain, "quick! quick! a rope!" "Heah, massa cap'n!" answered Solon close it hand. "Ise brung it jus' in time." "What can you do with a rope, Raymond?" asked Donald. "Make an effort to save her with the help of that lightning-rod."