Everything glowed in the golden light, and a fiery snowstorm seemed to be sweeping over the farm buildings, as the excited people worked, each dash of water producing a cloud of steam over which roared up, as it were, a discharge of fireworks.
For some time no impression whatever appeared to be made, but no one thought of leaving his position; the squire and those nearest to him were black and covered with perspiration, their faces shining in the brilliant light, and the leader was still emptying the buckets of water, when Farmer Tallington ran up to him.
"Let me give you a rest now," he cried.
"Nay, neighbour, I'll go on." The friendly altercation seemed to be about to result in a struggle for the bucket, when Dick, who had been in one of the back rooms, came running out of the house shouting:-- "The stable--the stable is on fire!" This caused a rush in the direction of the long low-thatched building on the other side of the house, one of a range about a yard.
There was no false alarm, for the thatch was blazing so furiously, that at a glance the lookers-on saw that the stable and the cart lodge adjoining were doomed.
"Did any one get out the horses ?" roared Farmer Tallington.
There was no answer, and the farmer rushed on up to the burning building through tiny patches of fire where the dry mouldering straw was set alight by the falling flakes.
The squire followed him, and, seeing them enter the dark doorway, Dick and Tom followed.
It was a long low building with room for a dozen horses; but only two were there, standing right at the end, where they were haltered to the rough mangers, and snorted and whinnied with fear.
Each man ran to the head of a horse, and cut the halters, lit by the glow that came through a great hole burned in the thatched roof, from which flakes of fire kept falling, while the smoke curled round and up the walls and beneath the roof in a silent threatening way.
It was easy enough to unloose the trembling beasts; but that was all that could be done, for the horses shivered and snorted, and refused to stir.
Both shouted and dragged at the halters; but the poor beasts seemed to be paralysed with fear; and as the moments glided by, the hole in the roof was being eaten out larger and larger, the great flakes of burning thatch falling faster, and a pile of blazing rafter and straw beginning to cut off retreat from the burning place.
"It's of no use," cried Farmer Tallington, after trying coaxing, main force, and then blows.

"The roof will be down directly.

Run, boys, run!" "You are coming too, father ?" cried Tom.
"Yes, and you, father ?" cried Dick.
"Yes, my lads; out with you!" "Try once more, father," said Dick.

"The poor old horses!" "Yes, but run!" cried the squire.

"I must run too.