"Fire! Fire!" what terrible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old. wooden house--the sort that burns easily--and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of thick smoke.

 

　　I began to run, but as I was still only halfawake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see flames all around. The floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window. But before I could reach it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell dom, The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked it Llp to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.

 

　　I saw a flaming doorway in front, put the bundle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terrible, but I got through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin cry. I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I saw a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night dress au d a borrowed man‘s coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly.

 

　　"My baby! My baby!" she cried. The crowd cheered wildly as she took the smokeblackened bundle out of my arms, I had some difficulty in recognizing her. She was the Mayor‘s wife and I had saved her baby. I was a hero!