Part 66 (2/2)

”Part of the roof,” cried Uncle d.i.c.k, panting, ”and the rest's falling.

Are you all here, lads?”

”Ay, all,” was answered as they looked from one to the other in the flickering light.

”Nay, not all,” shouted Stevens. ”Owd lad Pannell's buried alive. I see 'un fall.”

There was a murmur of horror and a burst of wailing, for now a number of women had joined the throng.

”Are you hurt?” I cried anxiously.

”Only a few cuts and bruises, Cob,” said Uncle d.i.c.k. ”Now, my lads, quick. We must have them out.”

The men stopped short, and there was a low angry murmur like the muttering of a coming storm.

”Quick, my lads, quick!”

There was a hoa.r.s.e cry for help from out of the ruins, and I knew it must be our poor smith.

”No, sir, stop,” cried the gentleman who had before spoken. ”I'd dare anything, but we have sacrificed one life in trying to save others. I have just been round, and I say that at the least movement of the ruins the left wall must come down.”

There was a loud cry of a.s.sent to this, and amongst shouts and a confused murmur of voices there came out of the gloom that fearful cry again:

”Help!”

”The wall must fall, men,” cried Uncle d.i.c.k loudly. ”I can't stand and hear that cry and not go. Once more volunteers.”

Half a dozen men started out of the crowd; but the peril was too great.

They shrank back, and I saw my three uncles standing together in the bright light of the burning building, blackened, bleeding, and in rags.

Then Uncle d.i.c.k put out his two hands, and Uncle Jack and Uncle Bob took them. They stood together for a short minute, and then went towards the tottering wall.

”Stop!” cried the gentleman. ”You must not risk your lives.”

For answer Uncle Jack turned his great manly face towards us and waved his hand.

Then they disappeared in the gloom, and a curious murmur ran along the great crowd. It was neither sigh, groan, nor cry, but a low hushed murmur of all these; and once more, as a dead silence fell, we heard that piteous cry, followed by a hoa.r.s.e cheer, as if the sufferer had seen help come.

Then, as we listened in dead silence, the rattling of brickwork came again, mingled with the fluttering of the flames and the crackle and roar of burning as the fire leaped up higher and higher from what had been one of the furnace-holes, and across which a number of rafters and beams had fallen, and were blazing brightly, to light up the horrible scene of ruin.

Battle and crash of bricks and beams, and we all knew that my uncles must be working like giants.

”I daren't go, Mester Jacob,” whispered Gentles. ”I'd do owt for the brave lads, but it's death to go. It's death, and I daren't.”

All at once, as everyone was listening for the fall of the tottering wall, some one caught sight of the moving figures, and a deafening cheer rose up as Uncle d.i.c.k appeared carrying the legs and Uncles Jack and Bob the arms of a man.

They came towards where I was standing, so that I was by when poor Pannell was laid down, and I went on one knee by his side.

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