"Mr. Coristine and Mr. Terry take commend and choose crew."
"Come, Matilda and Monty," said the lawyer.
"Come on, Sylvanus, Timotheus, Rufus," cried Mr. Terry.
"I'll row," said the Irishman.
"And me, too," added Sylvanus.
"Look after my prisoner, Mr. Bangs," cried Rufus; and the skiff went out
to sea.
Bill transferred himself to the scow, with his brother Harry and Mr.
Bigglethorpe. The detective lifted the two charred masses to the
opposite side of the middle thwart from that against which the prisoner
lay. Then, Bill and Bigglethorpe having taken the bow, he and Harry took
the stern, and the scow followed the skiff. For a time the two boats
stood stock still, fascinated by the awful scene. The explosions were
over, but the forest was blazing fiercely, and up towards the
smouldering buildings, but underground, blazed a vault of blue fire that
reached up to the standing brick chimney of Rawdon's house. Hundreds of
animals were in the water around them, squirrels and snakes and
muskrats, even mice, swimming for dear life. Then, pitter, patter, came
the rain, hissing on the flames.
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