Not the store-it was done swallowed up. The
huge blaze shooting up was as high as stores and stores stacked
on top of each other and getting higher all the time! Wild
flames, roaring and leaping, were trying to climb to the clouds
and set them on fire!
"Oh, Nannie, our lifetime of work, going up in smoke!"
The wind was blowing smoke toward us, and already we could
feel the heat. As we got closer, more and more sparks and cinders
came flying in the air.
"Jodie, yonder's a whole bunch of men!"
"Where?"
"Backed up there between the fire and the schoolhouse
branch."
"Yeah, I see them now. They've been trying to put it out for
us! Nannie, it won't be safe for y'all to go any closer. I'll
stop the wagon here at the gin. Now, you young'uns stay with your
mama."
"Jodie, it's too late to do a thing! Don't you go up close!
All them cartons of shotgun shells could go off."
"They've done exploded. That's what Bandershanks heard.
Nannie, I've gotta go close enough to see if I can tell how and
where that low-down fool set the fire.
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