Carl seized a horse-bucket, and
began sousing the window-sills of the harness-room, where the fire
was hottest.
By this time the whole house was aroused. Tom, dazed by the
sudden awakening, with her ulster thrown about her shoulders,
stood barefooted on the porch. Jennie was still at the window,
sobbing as if her heart would break, now that Carl was safe.
Patsy had crawled out of his low crib by his mother's bed, and was
stumbling downstairs, one foot at a time. Twice had Cully tried
to drag the old horse clear of his stall, and twice had he fallen
back for fresh air. Then came a smothered cry from inside the
blinding smoke, a burst of flame lighting up the stable, and the
Big Gray was pushed out, his head wrapped in Carl's coat, the
Swede pressing behind, Cully coaxing him on, his arms around the
horse's neck.
Hardly had the Big Gray cleared the stable when the roof of the
small extension fell, and a great burst of flame shot up into the
night air. All hope of rescuing the other two horses was now
gone.
Tom did not stand long dazed and bewildered. In a twinkling she
had drawn on a pair of men's boots over her bare feet, buckled her
ulster over her night-dress, and rushed back upstairs to drag the
blankets from the beds. Laden with these she sprang down the
steps, called to Jennie to follow, soaked the bedding in the
water-trough, and, picking up the dripping mass, carried it to
Carl and Cully, who, now that the Gray was safely tied to the
kitchen porch, were on the roof of the tool-house, fighting the
sparks that fell on the shingles.
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