Thomas Hardy

Gabriel climbed a gate into a field,intending to sleep for the rest of the night under a hay-rick (干草堆),but then he noticed an unusual light in the darkness,about half a mile away.Something was on fire.

He hurried across the fields towards the fire.Soon,in the rich orange light of the flames,he could see a hay-rick burning fiercely.It was too late to save the rick,so for a few minutes he stood and stared at the flames.But when the smoke cleared for a moment,he was horrified to see,very close to the burning rick,a whole row of wheat-ricks.These probably contained most of the wheat produced on the farm that year,and could catch fire at any moment.

As he rushed towards the wheat-rick that was most in danger,he saw he was not alone.A crowd of farm workers had seen the fire and run into the field to help save the wheat,but they were so confused that they did not know what to do.Gabriel took control and gave orders.

“Get a large cloth!”he shouted.“Put it over the wheat-rick,so the wind can't blow the flames from the hay-rick on to it!Now,you,stand here with a bucket of water and keep the cloth wet!”The men hurried to obey him.The flames,prevented from burning the bottom and sides of the wheat-rick,began to attack its roof.

“Get me a ladder!”cried Gabriel.“And a branch,and some water!”He climbed up the wheat-rick and sat on the top,beating down the flames with the branch.Billy Smallbury,one of the men who had been in the cart,climbed up with a bucket of water to throw water on Gabriel and keep the flames off him.The smoke was at its thickest at this corner of the rick,but Gabriel never stopped his work.

On the ground the villagers were doing what they could to stop the fire,which was not much.A little further away was a young woman who had just arrived on her horse,with her maid on foot.They were watching the fire and discussing Gabriel.

“He's a fine young man,ma'am,”said Liddy,the maid.“And look at his clothes!They're all burnt!”“Who does he work for?”asked the woman in a clear voice.“I don't know,ma'am,nor do the others.He's a stranger.”“Jan Coggan!”called the woman to one of her workers.“Do you think the wheat is safe now?”

“I think so,yes,ma'am,”he answered.“If the fire had spread to this wheat-rick,all the other ricks would have caught fire too.That brave young man up there on top of the rick is the one who's saved your wheat.”

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