but when it came now, the townsfolk bestirred
themselves with true Saxon vigor, and shortly the
able-bodied men were pouring out of the village
and the farm-houses amongst the hills, on foot, in
wagons, — fire-wardens on horseback, bustling and
dashing past the footmen, — while the cloud crept
steadily higher, and the whirl of the black, angry
mass beneath was clearly visible amongst the trees.
As the bustling, noisy crowd vanished into the
woods, and the day went on, the excitement stead-
ily increased among the groups of 'women and chil-
dren and old men, gathered on the hill-sides and
on the meeting-house green, watching the cloud in
the south that had now spread over the sun, which
shot through it only faint, yellowish rays. No one
had come back, as yet, to report the damage doing
beyond the hills, and each openly or silently made
their comments upon the calamity which had be-
fallen the village.
" The fire 's not so bad to-day, to reckon from
the smoke yonder, as it was the year that old Pai>
son Bent died, for then it swept everything clean to
the shore, and drove the deer clear out of the woods,
and two men lost their life afore it was done."

" P'r'aps it '11 come to that ag'in," said another
man, less hopeful.
" There '11 be less taxes to pay, anyhow," said a
third, who had very little to be taxed.
" It 's a retribution on people for their sins," said
a godly soul.
