On rubbered feet the fiend crept down; halting, listening, ever working
rapidly, from floor to floor and back to the entrance way again. At last
with a cautious glance around, a pause to rub a match skilfully over the
woolen cloak, and to light a fuse in a hidden corner, he vanished out upon
the street like the passing of a wraith, and was gone in the darkness.

Down in the dark corner the little spark brooded and smouldered. The
watchman passed that way but it gave no sign. All was still in the great
building, as the smouldering spark crept on and on over its little thread
of existence to the climax.

But suddenly, it sprang to life! A flame leaped up like a great tongue
licking its lips before the feast it was about to devour; and then it
sprang as if it were human, to another spot not far away; and then to
another, and on, and on up the stair rail, across to the wall, leaping,
roaring, almost shouting as if in fiendish glee. It flew to the top of the
house and down again in a leap and the whole building was enveloped in a
sheet of flame!

Some one gave the cry of FIRE! The night watchman darted to his box and
sent in the alarm. Frightened girls in night attire crowded to their doors
and gasping fell back for an instant in horror; then bravely obedient to
their training dashed forth into the flame. Young men on other floors
without a thought for themselves dropped into order automatically and
worked like madmen to save everyone. The fire engines throbbed up almost
immediately, but the building was doomed from the start and went like
tinder. Only the fire drill in which they had constant almost daily
practice saved those brave girls and boys from an awful death. Out upon
the fire escapes in the bitter winter wind the girls crept down to safety,