92 COURAGE 



only elapsed before a corjooral of marines, who stood a 

 few yards from us, responded, " I will, sir ! " and came 

 forward. 



" Don't — pray don't ! " said I to the first ; and his 

 other friends, taking hold of his arm, implored him not 

 to rush into such imminent peril. He shook us off, and, 

 followed by the soldier, he was seen to enter the house 

 by the private door, and heard ascending the staircase. 

 A breathless silence pervaded the crowd, which now 

 amounted to between two and three thousand. Those 

 who were at work at the engines stopped, and stood in 

 the attitude of fearful expectation — all waiting the result 

 with the most intense anxiety. Those who anticipated 

 the explosion held their breath with fear, while some few 

 whispered a ]3rayer for the safety of the two who had so 

 hopelessly rushed into danger. As for me, I looked 

 round to the house Ave had just left, Avhere dwelt his wife 

 and two sweet children, and could think of nothing but 

 the mournful fate that awaited them : when suddenly, 

 after a fearful absence, a loud hurrah announced that 

 they had issued safely from the house, each bearing on 

 his head a cask of gunpowder. These they carried safely 

 to the guard-house, distant about sixty or seventy yards, 

 and there left in charge of the officer on duty ; and then 

 they returned to receive the cheers and congratulations 

 of the crowd on the success of their hazardous enterprise. 



The engines now played with redoubled force, the fire 

 was soon subdued, and its ravages confined to that one 

 house. 



This exemplary act of courage, showing a disregard of 

 danger when a great calamity was impending, raised him 



