Mr.Morris sprang up, then sank back again.

He wanted to go, yet he could be of no use.

There were hundreds of men standing about, but the fire had spread so rapidly, and they had so little water to put on it that there was very little they could do.

I wondered whether I could do anything for the poor animals.

I was not afraid of fire, as most dogs, for one of the tricks that the Morris boys had taught me was to put out a fire with my paws.
They would throw a piece of lighted paper on the floor, and I would crush it with my forepaws; and if the blaze was too large for that, I would drag a bit of old carpet over it and jump on it.