VI 
FIRE 
73 
bounded away, ten feet each spring, the horses whinnied 
and stamped in the yards, and the air was filled with 
the shrill cries of cockatoos as they wheeled and swayed 
backwards and forwards in floating clouds in the blacken- 
ing sky. Now with fearful rapidity came the menacing 
sound of crashing and crackling of timbers, and, leaping 
and blazing, the flames shot forward, sending blinding 
showers of drift and fragments of leaves across the road, 
the only bar now between us and a horrible death. 
The fierce scream of the blast rushed upwards, the 
flames leaping at their prey, and wave upon wave 
rolled onward. Below, the fiery tongues hissing, toppling, 
and hurling over each other as they spluttered, gripped, 
twisted, and grasped the tree -trunks, then defiantly 
hurled a fiery stream to the resinous leaves of the 
foliage above. 
And now a fresh horror seized us ; the panting 
flames had leapt the gap and crossed the road. A 
huge tree that was burnt through at its base now 
tottered and fell with a crashing sound, scattering a 
sea of burning fragments whose quick tongues clutched 
with relentless grasp the dry tufts of grass and the light 
saplings round the fenced-in yard. The smoke grew 
denser each moment. With sinews and muscles strained 
to their utmost, and with hands grimy and scorched, we 
wrestled and struggled in frantic efforts, beating and 
stamping it out. How the reds and the yellows 
struggled for mastery. The whole force of the fire was 
upon us, and we fought for dear lives’ sake. Our 
throats were dry and swollen as we gasped for breath, 
a legion of devils was on us ; for a moment we seemed 
to wrestle with the powers of Hell. 
In the thickened smoke a man’s figure staggered for 
a moment and fell with the cry, “ O God, we are done ! ” 
Indeed, his words seemed too terribly true, and would 
