a soul was at hand to help us. I sent Cryer and Frost to the river for
more water. It was pitch dark, and the river a considerable distance
off, so that by the time they returned, the flames had made great
headway. It was evidently too late to save the building. Mrs. Wilson
and the servants had collected the children; I caught up one of them,
and we all ran to the church through the vestry. I rang the church bell
hard for some minutes; still no one came. The children were wrapped in
blankets, all four of them ill with coughs; the youngest, Mabel Laurie,
very ill with inflammation of the lungs. I ran back to the wash-house;
the flames now were leaping up madly, and lighting all the country
round. I collected the Indian children in the garden, and counted them
over; two were missing. Frost said he was sure they were all out; but
we could not tell. We shouted into the burning building; afterwards we
found that they were all right. I ran into my study, keeping my head
low to avoid the smoke, unlocked three or four drawers, and rapidly
collected important papers; then, half smothered, groped my way back to
the hall. Mrs. Wilson had followed me, and held the door closed while I
was in to keep the fire from drawing outwards; the staircase was on
fire, and my hair and whiskers were singed. All our watches, jewellery,
&c., were lost. My wife had collected and put them together in a basket
on the floor, but it was too late to save it. Some of the Indians had
now arrived, and I told them to save what they could, but every room
was full of flame and smoke. The harmonium in the dining-hall might
have been saved, but no one thought of it; it had only been brought in
the day before, and was a gift from a lady in England. The church was
now in danger; it was only 20 feet from the burning building; where
should we go? We took up the children, and ran back to the farm
buildings. It was still drenching with rain; the fire looked terrible,
and we feared it would reach us even here. We must beat another
retreat. Should we go to the Jesuit priest? He was a hospitable man,