第 52 页

"Empty them all out in the cabin," Captain Dave said to his wife; "we

will take them back with us."

As soon as he had seen the ladies into the cabin, Captain Watson

called his son Frank, who was his chief mate, and half a dozen of his

men. These carried the boxes, as fast as they were emptied, down into

the boat.

"We will all go ashore together," he said to Captain Dave. "I was a

fool not to think of it before. We will soon make light work of it."

As soon as they reached the house, some of the sailors were sent off

with the remaining trunks and bundles, while the others carried

upstairs those they had brought, and quickly emptied into them the

remaining contents of the drawers and linen press. So quickly and

steadily did the work go on, that no less than six trips were made to

the _Good Venture_ in the next three hours, and at the end of that

time almost everything portable had been carried away, including

several pieces of valuable furniture, and a large number of objects

brought home by Captain Dave from his various voyages. The last

journey, indeed, was devoted to saving some of the most valuable

contents of the store. Captain Dave, delighted at having saved so

much, would not have thought of taking more, but Captain Watson would

not hear of this.

"There is time for one more trip, old friend," he said, "and there

are many things in your store that are worth more than their weight

in silver. I will take my other two hands this time, and, with the

eight men and our five selves, we shall be able to bring a good

load."

The trunks were therefore this time packed with ship's instruments,

and brass fittings of all kinds, to the full weight that could be

carried. All hands then set to work, and, in a very short time, a

great proportion of the portable goods were carried from the

store-house into an arched cellar beneath it. By the time that they

were ready to start there were but six houses between them and the

fire.

"I wish we had another three hours before us," Captain Watson said.

"It goes to one's heart to leave all this new rope and sail cloth,

good blocks, and other things, to be burnt."

"There have been better things than that burnt to-day, Watson. Few

men have saved as much as I have, thanks to your assistance and that

of these stout sailors of yours. Why, the contents of these twelve

boxes are worth as much as the whole of the goods remaining."

The sailors' loads were so heavy that they had to help each other to

get them upon their shoulders, and the other five were scarcely less

weighted; and, short as was the distance, all had to rest several

times on the way to the stairs, setting their burdens upon

window-sills, or upon boxes scattered in the streets. One of the

ship's boats had, after the first trip, taken the place of the light

wherry, but even this was weighted down to the gunwale when the men

and the goods were all on board. After the first two trips, the

contents of the boxes had been emptied on deck, and by the time the

last arrived the three women had packed away in the empty cabins all

the clothing, linen, and other articles, that had been taken below.

Captain Watson ordered a stiff glass of grog to be given to each of

the sailors, and then went down with the others into the main cabin,

where the steward had already laid the table for a meal, and poured

out five tumblers of wine.

"I have not had so tough a job since I was before the mast," he said.

"What say you, Captain Dave?"

"It has been a hard morning's work, indeed, Watson, and, in truth, I

feel fairly spent. But though weary in body I am cheerful in heart.

It seemed to me at breakfast-time that we should save little beyond

what we stood in, and now I have rescued well-nigh everything

valuable that I have. I should have grieved greatly had I lost all

those mementos that it took me nigh thirty years to gather, and those

pieces of furniture that belonged to my father I would not have lost

for any money. Truly, it has been a noble salvage."

Mrs. Dowsett and Nellie now joined them. They had quite recovered

their spirits, and were delighted at the unexpected rescue of so many

things precious to them, and Captain Watson was overwhelmed by their

thanks for what he had done.

After the meal was over they sat quietly talking for a time, and then

Cyril proposed that they should row up the river and see what

progress the fire was making above the Bridge. Mrs. Dowsett, however,

was too much fatigued by her sleepless night and the troubles and

emotions of the morning to care about going. Captain Dave said that

he was too stiff to do anything but sit quiet and smoke a pipe, and

that he would superintend the getting of their things on deck a

little ship-shape. Nellie embraced the offer eagerly, and young

Watson, who was a well-built and handsome fellow, with a pleasant

face and manner, said that he would go, and would take a couple of

hands to row. The tide had just turned to run up when they set out.

Cyril asked the first mate to steer, and he sat on one side of him

and Nellie on the other.

"You will have to mind your oars, lads," Frank Watson said. "The

river is crowded with boats."

They crossed over to the Southwark side, as it would have been

dangerous to pass under the arches above which the houses were

burning. The flames, however, had not spread right across the bridge,

for the houses were built only over the piers, and the openings at

the arches had checked the flames, and at these points numbers of men

were drawing water in buckets and throwing it over the fronts of the

houses, or passing them, by ropes, to other men on the roofs, which

were kept deluged with water. Hundreds of willing hands were engaged

in the work, for the sight of the tremendous fire on the opposite

bank filled people with terror lest the flames should cross the

bridge and spread to the south side of the river. The warehouses and

wharves on the bank were black with spectators, who looked with

astonishment and awe at the terrible scene of destruction.

It was not until they passed under the bridge that the full extent of

the conflagration was visible. The fire had made its way some

distance along Thames Street, and had spread far up into the City.

Gracechurch Street and Lombard Street were in flames, and indeed the

fire seemed to have extended a long distance further; but the smoke

was so dense, that it was difficult to make out the precise point

that it had reached. The river was a wonderful sight. It was crowded

with boats and lighters, all piled up with goods, while along the

quays from Dowgate to the Temple, crowds of people were engaged in

placing what goods they had saved on board lighters and other craft.

Many of those in the boats seemed altogether helpless and undecided

as to what had best be done, and drifted along with the tide, but the

best part were making either for the marshes at Lambeth or the fields

at Millbank, there to land their goods, the owners of the boats

refusing to keep them long on board, as they desired to return by the

next tide to fetch away other cargoes, being able to obtain any price

they chose to demand for their services.

Among the boats were floating goods and wreckage of all kinds,

charred timber that had fallen from the houses on the bridge, and

from the warehouses by the quays, bales of goods, articles of

furniture, bedding, and other matters. At times, a sudden change of

wind drove a dense smoke across the water, flakes of burning embers

and papers causing great confusion among the boats, and threatening

to set the piles of goods on fire.

At Frank Watson's suggestion, they landed at the Temple, after having

been some two hours on the river. Going up into Fleet Street, they

found a stream of carts and other vehicles proceeding westward, all

piled with furniture and goods, mostly of a valuable kind. The

pavements were well-nigh blocked with people, all journeying in the

same direction, laden with their belongings. With difficulty they

made their way East as far as St. Paul's. The farther end of

Cheapside was already in flames, and they learnt that the fire had

extended as far as Moorfields. It was said that efforts had been made

to pull down houses and so check its progress, but that there was no

order or method, and that no benefit was gained by the work.

After looking on at the scene for some time, they returned to Fleet

Street. Frank Watson went down with Nellie to the boat, while Cyril

went to his lodgings in the Savoy. Here he found his servant

anxiously awaiting him.

"I did not bring the horses this morning, sir," he said. "I heard

that there was a great fire, and went on foot as far as I could get,

but, finding that I could not pass, I thought it best to come back

here and await your return."

"Quite right, Reuben; you could not have got the horses to me unless

you had ridden round the walls and come in at Aldgate, and they would

have been useless had you brought them. The house at which I stayed

last night is already burnt to the ground. You had better stay here

for the present, I think. There is no fear of the fire extending

beyond the City. Should you find that it does so, pack my clothes in

the valises, take the horses down to Sevenoaks, and remain at the

Earl's until you hear from me."

Having arranged this, Cyril went down to the Savoy stairs, where he

found the boat waiting for him, and then they rowed back to London

Bridge, where, the force of the tide being now abated, they were able

to row through and get to the _Good Venture_.

They had but little sleep that night. Gradually the fire worked its

way eastward until it was abreast of them. The roaring and crackling

of the flames was prodigious. Here and there the glare was

diversified by columns of a deeper red glow, showing where

warehouses, filled with pitch, tar, and oil, were in flames. The

heavy crashes of falling buildings were almost incessant.

Occasionally they saw a church tower or steeple, that had stood for a

time black against the glowing sky, become suddenly wreathed in

flames, and, after burning for a time, fall with a crash that could

be plainly heard above the general roar.

"Surely such a fire was never seen before!" Captain Dave said.

"Not since Rome was burnt, I should think," Cyril replied.

"How long was that ago, Cyril? I don't remember hearing about it."

"'Tis fifteen hundred years or so since then, Captain Dave; but the

greater part of the city was destroyed, and Rome was then many times

bigger than London. It burnt for three days."

"Well, this is bad enough," Captain Watson said. "Even here the heat

is well-nigh too great to face. Frank, you had better call the crew

up and get all the sails off the yards. Were a burning flake to fall

on them we might find it difficult to extinguish them. When they have

done that, let the men get all the buckets filled with water and

ranged on the deck; and it will be as well to get a couple of hands

in the boat and let them chuck water against this side. We shall have

all the paint blistered off before morning."

So the night passed. Occasionally they went below for a short time,

but they found it impossible to sleep, and were soon up again, and

felt it a relief when the morning began to break.

CHAPTER XXII

AFTER THE FIRE

Daylight brought little alleviation to the horrors of the scene. The

flames were less vivid, but a dense pall of smoke overhung the sky.

As soon as they had breakfasted, Captain Watson, his son, Captain

Dowsett, Nellie, and Cyril took their places in the boat, and were

rowed up the river. An exclamation burst from them all as they saw

how fast the flames had travelled since the previous evening.

"St. Paul's is on fire!" Cyril exclaimed. "See! there are flames

bursting through its roof. I think, Captain Watson, if you will put

me ashore at the Temple, I will make my way to Whitehall, and report

myself there. I may be of use."

"I will do that," Captain Watson said. "Then I will row back to the

ship again. We must leave a couple of hands on board, in case some of

these burning flakes should set anything alight. We will land with

the rest, and do what we can to help these poor women and children."

"I will stay on board and take command, if you like, Watson," Captain

Dave said. "You ought to have some one there, and I have not

recovered from yesterday's work, and should be of little use ashore."

"Very well, Dowsett. That will certainly be best; but I think it will

be prudent, before we leave, to run out a kedge with forty or fifty

fathoms of cable towards the middle of the stream, and then veer out

the cable on her anchor so as to let her ride thirty fathoms or so

farther out. We left six men sluicing her side and deck, but it

certainly would be prudent to get her out a bit farther. Even here,

the heat is as much as we can stand."

As soon as Cyril had landed, he hurried up into Fleet Street. He had

just reached Temple Bar when he saw a party of horsemen making their

way through the carts. A hearty cheer greeted them from the crowd,

who hoped that the presence of the King--for it was Charles who rode

in front--was a sign that vigorous steps were about to be taken to

check the progress of the flames. Beside the King rode the Duke of

Albemarle, and following were a number of other gentlemen and

officers. Cyril made his way through the crowd to the side of the

Duke's horse.

"Can I be of any possible use, my Lord Duke?" he asked, doffing his

hat.

"Ah, Sir Cyril, it is you, is it? I have not seen you since you

bearded De Ruyter in the _Fan Fan_. Yes, you can be of use. We have

five hundred sailors and dockyard men behind; they have just arrived

from Chatham, and a thousand more have landed below the Bridge to