In a moment the five dashed down the table, and flung themselves upon the Greeks.  These, taken by surprise, and paralyzed by the great sheet of flame which was already licking the wooden ceiling, recoiled.  Some were cut down as they stood.  Others were hurled aside.  Two or three fell before the dirks of the midshipmen, and in a few seconds the little party had burst through the crowd of their assailants, and had gained the door of the room.  Here the Englishman and one of the French officers turned and made a stand, in order to give the midshipmen time to assist their badly-wounded comrade down the narrow stairs, and to open the door of the house.  As they flung this open, Jack shouted up that the way was free, and then, half carrying the wounded Frenchman, they hurried down the street, uttering shouts for assistance.  The lattice work of the window had already caught fire, and a sheet of flame lit up the street.  Before they had gone fifty yards, they heard a noise behind them, as the two officers, followed by the Greeks, issued from the house.

Fortunately, at this moment a party of English officers, who had been dining at the general’s, ran up at full speed, attracted by the shouts of the boys and the glare of fire.  Upon seeing this accession of strength, the Greeks at once desisted from the attack, and made off.  By this time the windows of the various houses were opening, and shouts of affright arose at the sight of the conflagration; for the houses were, for the most part, constructed of wood, and, once begun, there was no saying where a fire would end.

“What is all this about, gentlemen?” one of the officers, a colonel, asked.  “Give me your names, for there must be an inquiry into the matter.  I see you are all wounded, and ’tis best to get back to camp at once.  I fear this will be a serious matter.”

In five minutes the street was full of people, and the flames had obtained entire possession of the house, and were rushing high into the air.  The wind was blowing briskly, and it was evident that the safety of the whole quarter of the town was menaced.  The French officer succeeded in getting four Maltese to carry his comrade to the camp.  A door was taken off its hinges, and they were soon upon their way.

Jack and Hawtry, who had only received one or two slight slashes of knives, remained to see what came of it.  The Turkish guards were speedily on the spot, but these could do nothing beyond trying to prevent the rabble from commencing a general pillage.  From every house the people were throwing out their goods of all descriptions.  Every minute the fire spread, and six or seven houses were already in flames when, but a quarter of an hour after the outbreak of the fire, a heavy tramp was heard, and a battalion of French infantry from their nearest camp came up at a double.  There was no water, no means whatever of extinguishing the flames, but the active little Frenchmen did not lose a minute.  At the word