Still I had noted with satisfaction that no fire- escapes had yet been brought up, so that any unfortunate inmates were sure to be still safe for me.

The firemen were playing on the flames with their hoses, and every now and then an alarm of a tottering wall sent them flying back to a safe distance.

It was a grand opportunity for me to brave these poltroons on their own ground, and show them how a hero behaves at a fire.
So I took advantage of a policeman turning another way, to break bounds and run into the open space.
"Come back!" shouted the policeman.
"Come back!" yelled the mob.
"Mind the wall!" cried a fireman.
I was delighted, and already glowed with glory.
Alas! how soon our brightest hopes may be damped! The fireman, seeing that I still advanced on the burning ruin, wheeled round on me with his hose, and before I could count five had drenched me through and through, and half-stunned me with the force of the water into the bargain.
The crowd screamed with laughter; the police seized me by all fours; the fireman executed a final solo on my retreating person, and the next thing I was aware of was being delivered at my own door from a four- wheeled cab, with my interest in conflagrations completely extinguished.
My faith in the history of heroism began to be a trifle shaken after this adventure.

However, I was committed to a course of gallant action; and it were cowardice to lose heart after a rebuff or two.

I must at any rate try my hand at a railway rescue before giving in.
In my studies I had only met with one successful case of extracting individuals from between the wheels of locomotives in motion, and therefore entered upon this branch of my experiments with considerable doubt.