"Is not the captain there?" asked the lieutenant.
"No, sir," replied the sergeant, "he started off to go beyond the line half an hour ago."
"Alone?"
"No, sir; that chap that came in at dusk was with him."
"It's strange he should have gone without speaking to me about it."
"I wanted him to take some of our fellows along, sir, but he didn't care to. By George! that house is afire, sir. Look there."
While talking, they had been proceeding toward the farm-house, when the light from the windows brightened suddenly into a broad glare, and called forth the sergeant's exclamation. Before they reached the building a jet of flame had leaped from one of the casements, and continued to whirl like a flaming ribbon in the air. They quickened their pace to a run, and bursting into the doorway, were driven back by a dense volume of smoke, that rolled in black masses along the corridor. They went in again, and the sergeant pushed open the door of the room where Moll lay bound, but shut it quickly again, as a tongue of flame lashed itself toward him like an angry snake.
"It's all afire, sir," he said, coughing and spluttering through the smoke. "Are there any of the captain's traps inside?"
"Nothing at all," replied the lieutenant. "Let's go in, however, and see what can be done."
They entered, but were driven back by the baffling smoke and the flames that were now licking all over the dry plastering of the room.