When Marcy went up to his room he took his pillows from the floor, and put them on the bed where they belonged. He pushed his revolvers under them, smiling grimly when he thought of the little use they had been to him when their services were really needed, turned down the lamp, and was about to throw himself upon his couch, without removing his clothes, when he heard something that had startled him once before--the noise made by a pebble striking against his window. That was the way in which Sailor Jack attracted his attention on the night he came up from Newbern, after piloting that Northern blockade runner safely into port; but who could this person be? The dread of danger, that was uppermost in his mind when he stepped to the window and opened it, gave way to indignation when he looked out and saw the boy Julius standing on the ground below. "Look here, you imp of darkness," he exclaimed. "Hursh, honey, hursh!" said Julius, in an excited whisper. "Go fru de hall, and look out de oder side." "What's out there?" asked Marcy, in the same low whisper. "Nuffin. But you go and look." Marcy put down the window and went, knowing that it would be a waste of time to question such a fellow as Julius. When he stepped into the hall he was alarmed to see that it was lighted up so brightly by a glare which came through the wide, high window at the other end that he could distinguish the figures on the wall-paper. He reached the window in two jumps, stood there about two seconds looking toward two different points of the compass, and then faced about, and ran down the stairs. "Mother, mother!" he exclaimed, as he rapped on her bedroom door. "Get up and tell me what to do. Here's the mischief to pay. Beardsley's house is in flames." "O Marcy!" was all Mrs. Gray could say in reply. "Yes. And there's a little blaze just beginning to show above the trees in the direction of Colonel Shelby's," continued Marcy. "This is a dreadful state of affairs," said his mother. "I believe you; but Aleck Webster told the truth, and those Union men are bricks. Jack will be tickled to death when he hears of it." "I hope he isn't heathen enough to rejoice over any one's misfortune. But how can I tell you what to do? What do you want to do?" "I want to know if you will be afraid to remain here with the girls while I run over there," answered Marcy. "Certainly not. Take every one on the place, and save what you can. But, Marcy, you cannot do any work with only one hand." "No matter. I can show my good will. I don't expect to have a chance to save anything. The house has been burning so long that the roof is about ready to tumble in. Good-by." Marcy buttoned his coat to keep it from falling off as he ran, caught his cap from the rack as he hurried through the hall, and opened the front door to find Julius waiting for him at the foot of the steps.