But the chief had decided that this space must be occupied, and more: must be held, since it was the only point of defence for the second warehouse.

The roof of this building would burn, which would mean the destruction of the warehouse, unless it could be mounted, because the streams of water could not play upon it from the ground, nor, from the ladders, do much more than wet the projecting eaves.

It was a gable roof, the eaves twenty feet lower on the south side than on the north, where the ladders could not hope to reach them.

Vanrevel swung his line of bucketeers round to throw water, not upon the flames, but upon the ladder-men.
Miss Carewe stood in the crowd upon the opposite side of the broad street.

Even there her cheeks were uncomfortably hot, and sometimes she had to brush a spark from her shoulder, though she was too much excited to mind this.