Yes; he heard shouts.
They were roused, then: just a few more pulls and he might go.
The terrified maidservants came huddling down the back staircase and out at the back door. Men came from the stables, and the lodge, and the gardeners' cottages, and Ridgeway dropped from his window, for he could not face the smoke in the passage.
The fire was in the front of the house in the main wing; the dining room was undoubtedly in flames, and the men went round to the front with the hose while one of the grooms galloped off to the nearest town for the fire engine.
Ridgeway was the last to join the frightened group outside the back door, and his first question was, "Where's Master Johnny?"
It took several minutes of most violent language before he discovered that no one had seen Master Johnny, but his window was open, and he must have got out that way: "he was active as a cat."
But Johnny was not with the men.
"Who rang the alarm bell?" Ridgeway shouted.
Apparently no one had rung the alarm bell.
A ladder was set against Johnny's window, and Ridgeway went up and into Johnny's room.