"I should have stopped to snatch the bunch of burning straw, and, throwing it on the ground, should have extinguished it with my feet!" Ivan tried to cry out and arouse his people, but his lips refused to utter a word.

He next tried to run, but he could not move his feet, and his legs seemed to twist themselves around each other.

After several attempts he succeeded in taking one or two steps, when he again began to stagger and gasp for breath.

It was some moments before he made another attempt to move, but after considerable exertion he finally reached the barn, the rear of which was by this time entirely consumed; and the corner of his house had already caught fire.

Dense volumes of smoke began to pour out of the room, which made it difficult to approach.
A crowd of peasants had by this time gathered, but they found it impossible to save their homes, so they carried everything which they could to a place of safety.