“The fire is making great headway, your excellency,” said one of the gentlemen in the governor’s suite.

“God bless me, so it is,” replied the governor.  “How careless of the Jews to let their stores get on fire.  They give me a great deal of trouble.”

“But shall we not do something towards suppressing the flames?” asked the first speaker, with an impatient gesture.

“God bless me, what can I do?” cried the governor, peevishly.

“There are two small engines in the city—­they might be brought here and worked to advantage,” urged the aide-de-camp, for such I judged him to be.

“Yes, yes, I know; but, God bless me, they won’t suck.”

I saw the governor’s suite vainly endeavoring to suppress their smiles, and for a moment, such was their mirth, no further conversation ensued.

At length the aid said,—­

“That difficulty can be overcome, your excellency, by pressing the water carts into service, and letting them bring water from the river for the engines to use.  Much property can be saved, also, by dismissing the soldiers to the barracks with their arms, and then letting them return, and pass water in buckets.  I assure your excellency that the police force is amply sufficient to keep order without the troops.”

“God bless me, I believe that you are right,” cried the governor, “but I don’t like to set the soldiers at such work.  They spoil their uniforms, and then the government has to supply them with new clothing, and I am blamed for it.”

“Then let the engines be brought here, and I pledge you my word that I will find men enough in the crowd to work them without the soldiers’ assistance!” exclaimed the aid, energetically.

“God bless me, if you think they are of any use, bring them here; but I don’t know a person in Melbourne who understands working them.”

His excellency’s remark appeared to stagger the aide-de-camp, for by the light of the flames I saw him bite his lips with vexation, and glance over the crowd, as though wishing that he could find somebody who would come to his rescue.

Fred and myself could no longer keep silent.  We thought, that we saw an opening for our talent that should not be lost, so giving the nearest soldier a slight push one side, and narrowly escaping a thrust from a bayonet in return, we suddenly stood before the astonished group.

“We have come to ask permission to take charge of your engines,” Fred said, before the aide-de-camp could find breath to order us into custody, and the soldiers appeared disposed to make prisoners of us before the word was given.

“God bless me, what is the meaning of this?” cried the governor, putting his eye-glass up, and surveying us from head to foot, as though we were animals of the rara avis species.

“Stand back, soldiers,” cried the aide-de-camp, in a tone of command, when he saw that the men were disposed to force us amongst the crowd again, “return to your ranks, and leave me to deal with these men.”