"HE HUNG SUSPENDED IN MID AIR, AWAITING AN AWFUL DEATH."
"What's the matter old man," said a man who had seen all the performance.
"Where's the fire," said Uncle wildly.
"It is two blocks further up," he answered.
"And ain't my folks all burnt up?" he said pathetically.
The answer was at once before him for he had let himself down directly over the entrance of the hotel and his family just then arriving at the bottom of the stairway came out to him. There never was a more happy meeting for Uncle than that one. His ridiculous adventure was not clear to him till he had time to study it over. But there really was a fire further on and they were not to lose such a sight.
"THE FIRE WAS TWO BLOCKS AWAY."
A large dry goods house was on fire, and eighteen or twenty monster engines were puffing and roaring, each one like a threshing machine on Uncle's wheat field. They pressed themselves forward to the very front of the spectators, and so close that the heat of the flames could be distinctly felt. A heavy wind was blowing, and all the force of the fire department was out to stop the flames. It was truly the grandest and most fearful spectacle the family had ever seen. There came a puff of wind toward them and the flames came down, almost scorching their clothing. Then the policemen commenced to drive the crowd back.