With the Serbs in Macedonia

40 WITH THE SERBS IN MACEDONIA
York could have mastered such a holocaust.
So troops were set to work and plans made to
save the rest of the city from being engulfed.
Timber from a huge store was cast into the sea,
houses were to be ruthlessly blown up, thus far
and no further was the fire to be allowed to go.
Fortunately, however, the wind changed, and
the conflagration burnt itself out.
Meanwhile, back in the burning region, the
piteous scenes went on. Soldiers were helping
now in clearing the streets and the houses, and
experiencing at times the greatest difficulty in
getting the people out. Some of the houses
in the Turkish quarter gave a lot of trouble.
In these ramshackle warrens, ancient, wrinkled
dames screamed with horror, and fled down
dark passages to hide from the infidels who
wanted to save them. They couldn't believe
that their homes were going next.
Tragedy and farce walked hand in hand as
they always do at a fire. A British brigadier
came along, and collared a — padre a major.
''
Clear this street and keep it clear," he
commanded.
The padre got to work with a band of willing
helpers. Then a woman came up to him,
frantic and tearful. She implored him to let
her go back for a moment. Apparently there
was something she had forgotten, something