"
"You should write story books, James. Now what was this fearful
manner in which we were aroused?"
James laid down his pipe, and, resting his hands on his knees,
continued his story.
"This lodge, sir, this wooden lodge--for the lodge is all of
wood, sir, without and within."
"This lodge is undoubtedly of wood, James, and, as you say, both
inside and out."
"And since it is, sir, it would be mighty careless to leave a
candle burning where the oil and firewood are stored."
"Most criminal!"
"But hard words don't hurt dead men; and you see, sir, poor
Herbert is dead."
"It is true. He wouldn't feel aggrieved."
"But we, sir, you and I, awaking--"
"Aren't the others to awake, James?"
"Indeed, sir, I should pray that they had never awaked. For you
and I, waking first, would find the lodge a mass of flames. We
should have to run for our lives."
"What! Should we make no effort to rouse the others?"
"Indeed, sir, we should do all that men could do; we should even
risk death by suffocation."
"But we should fail, in spite of our heroism, should we?"
"Alas, sir, in spite of all our efforts we should fail. The
flames would envelop the lodge in one blaze; before help could
come, the lodge would be in ruins, and my unhappy master and poor
Herbert would be consumed to ashes.
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