She tore and raged in a wild fury.
"Pierre, coward, devil!" "Steady, Jack!" "Are you going to let him die ?" "Don't you see?
He's already dead." "You lie.

You only fear the fire!" "I tell you, McGurk has been here before us." Her arm was freed by a twisting effort and she beat him furiously across the face.

One blow cut his lip and a steady trickle of hot blood left a taste of salt in his mouth.
"You young fiend!" he cried, and grasped both her wrists with a crushing force.
She leaned and gnashed at his hands, but he whirled her about and held her from behind, impotent, raging still.
"A hundred McGurks could never have killed him!" There was a sharp explosion from the midst of the fire.
"See! He's fighting against his death!" "No! No! It's only the falling of a timber!" Yet with a panic at his heart he knew that it was the sharp crack of a firearm.

"Liar again! Pierre, for God's sake, do something for him.
Father! He's fighting for his life!" Another and another explosion from the midst of the fire.

He understood then.
"The flames have reached his guns.