“I heard her there,” said the wife, “and was on my way to learn what it meant, when the crash came.”
In answer to the questions of the couple, Dinah soon made clear what had taken place. Her employers were filled with admiration of her pluck, and wonder at its brilliant success. That she had saved the dwelling from burning and averted a frightful death from them all was evident. They praised her highly, though the captain insisted that she ought to have told him of her intention before climbing through upon the roof.
“Cotch me doin’ dat,” she chuckled, “when I knowed dat you would hab stopped me. Dinah aint as big a fool as she looks.”
“No one certainly could have managed it with the skill shown by you. I would have kept within the opening and shot the scamp.”
“And what would you hab done wid de fiah, eh?”
“Put it out in some way.”
“And got shot yourself! Your fut isn’t 89 as promisc’us as mine and it would hab tooken you longer; it wanted only one slap ob my shoe and de bus’ness war done.”
“Perhaps you were right,” said the captain with a laugh; “but I am afraid we are not through with those attempts; they came so near succeeding that they will soon try it again.”
“I don’t t’ink dat black rascal will try it wery soon, ’cause I gib him a shookin’ up dat he wont git ober for a week.”
“I have no doubt of that, but there are others just as venturesome as he, and they will try it.”