“Oh!” they gasped again in relief.
“Yes, they’d seen the fire, and knew it was near your place, so they rushed off from the yards and got here just in time to save the ’omestead. My! wasn’t your Mother glad? She just sat and cried after the shock; but, my word, she must have rushed round to have got you all safe away, for the fire was no time coming up the crick, and it swallowed all before it! Yes, she just sat and cried, for it was an awful shock to her, because she thought the fire might overtake you and you’d all be burnt to death alive.”
“Oh!” they all gasped again. “But wasn’t Mother brave?”
“Brave!” echoed Joe. “Why, I call your Mother a hero!”
“A hero—yes, that’s what she is!” they declared.
“Yes, she’s a regular hero,” declared Willie, stoutly.
“Oh, dear, I’m glad we’re saved!” said Eileen, “and were not burnt to death alive.”
“Do you know what I’d ha’ done, if I’d been there?” asked Willie.
“No,” said Joe, quietly.
“I’d ha’ got the scythe, and I’d ha’ cut all the grass down round the house, and I’d ha’ raked it all away out so’s there’d be nothing for the fire to burn near the house—see? And I’d ha’ got wet bags and hung them all round——”