“I’ll tell ye what it is, Jack.  These elemental giants, when they do break loose from our service, have one note of defiance amongst them; and it’s that awe-ful roar!”

When we stood in the street where the fire was, it was deafening, and it kept its own distinctness above all other noises; and with the fire-bells, the saving and losing of household goods, and the trampling and talking of the crowd, there were noises not a few.  Dennis and I were together, for Alister had business to do, but he had given us leave to gratify our curiosity, adding a kindly warning to me to take care of myself, and keep “that feather-brained laddie,” Dennis, out of danger’s way.  We had no difficulty in reaching the point of interest, for, ludicrous to say, the fire was in Water Street; that is, it was in the street running parallel with the river and the wharves, the main business street of Georgetown.  We were soon in the thick of the crowd, protecting our eyes from the falling fragments of burning wood, and acquiring information.  That heap of smoking embers—­so we were told—­was the big store where it first broke out; the house yonder, where the engines were squirting away, and the fire putting tongues of flame out of the windows at them, as if in derision, cost two thousand dollars—­“Ah! there goes the roof!”

It fell in accordingly; and, in the sudden blaze of its destruction, I saw a man come riding along, before whom the people made way, and then some one pulled me back and said,

“The governor.”

He stopped near us, and beckoned some one to his side.

“Is he coming?”

“He’s here, sir;” and then into the vivid glare stepped a tall, graceful, and rather fantastical-looking young gentleman in a white jacket, and with a long fair moustache, who raised his hand with a quick salute, and then stood at the governor’s stirrup.

“I know that fellow, I’m sure,” said Dennis.

“Royal Engineers officer,” said my neighbour.  “Mark my words, that means gunpowder,” and the good man, who was stout and steaming with perspiration, seemed to feel like one who has asked for a remedy for toothache and been answered by the dentist—­“Gunpowder is what it means!  And if our governor had sent for a cobbler, he’d have said, ’Nothing like leather,’ and mended the hose of the steam-pump.  And that store of mine, sir, didn’t cost a cent less than—­”

But I was watching the engineer officer, and catching fragments of the rapid consultation.

“Quite inevitable, sir, in my opinion.”

“Very good.  You have full powers—­instruct—­colonel—­magazine—­do your best.”

The engineer officer had very long white hands, which I noticed as one went rapidly to his forehead, whilst with the other he caressed the dark nose of the governor’s horse, which had been rubbing its head against his shoulder.  And then the governor rode away and left him.