earth as one explosion followed another in earsplitting succession Torrents of sparks shot to the sky and descended slowly.

lazily through blood-colored clouds of smoke, she thought she heard a feeble call from the next room but she paid it no heed
She had no time for Melanie now No time for anything except a fear that licked through her veins as swiftly as the flames
she saw she was a child and mad with fright and she wanted to bury her head in her mother's lap and shut out this sight If she
were only home Home with Mother Throughthe nerve-shivering sounds, she heard another sound that of fear-sped feet
coming up the stairs three at a time, heard a voice yelping like a lost hound Prissy broke into the room and flying to Scarlett.
Clutched her armin a grip that seemed to pinch out pieces of flesh "The Yankees" cried Scarlett "No'm. it's our gemprums!
yelled Prissy between breaths. digging her nails deeper into Scarlett's arm "Dey's burning de country a de armysupply depots
a de Warehouses a fol Gawa. Miss Scarlett, dey done to off dem seventy freight cars of cannon balls an' gunpowder an.
Jesus. we're all gone ter burn up she began yelping again shrilly and pinchedScarlett so hard she cried out in pain and fury
and shook off her hand The Yankees hadn't come yet! There was still time to gateway! She rallied her frightened forces
together if I don't get a hold on myself." She thought. "I'll be squalling like a scalded call" and the sight of Prissy's abject
terror helped steady her she took her by the shoulders and shook her "shut up that racket and talk sense The Yankees haven't
come you fool Did you see Captain Butler? What did he say? Is he coming?" Prissy cease her yelling but her teeth chattered
"Yas'm. ch finely found him in a bathroom. like you told me He-_-" "Never mind where you found him Is he coming? Did
you tell him to bring his horse" "Lawa Miss Scarlett he says our gemprums done tuck his hawse a change for an ambulance"
"Dear God in Heaven" "But he comin'--" "What did he say?" Prissy had recovered her breath and a small measure of control
but her eyes still rolled "William. lak you tole me. A found him in a bathroom Ah stood outside any yell for him an' he comes
out and correctly he see me ani Ah starts to tell him. de sojers tech off a sto house down Decatur Street an' it flame up he
says Come on and he grabs me we run ter Fibe Points an' he says den What now? Talk fas! Ani Ah says you say. Capn
Butler. Come quick and bring yo' hawse a change Miss Melly done had a chile and you are bustin' ter get outer town And he
says where all is she studyin' 'boutgain"? An Ah say Ah doan know. Suh, but you boun' her go fo' de Yankees gits hyah on'
Wants him ter go wid you An' he laughs a say dey done tuck his hawse" Scarlett's heart went leaden as the last hope left her
Fool that she was. Why hadn't she thought that the retreating army would naturally take every vehicle and animal left in the
city? For a moment she was too stunned to hear what Prissy was saying but she pulled herself together to hear the rest of the
story "A den he says. Tell Miss Scarlett ter res' easy Ahill steal her a hawse outer de army Crall even dey's anyone left An' he
says. Ah done stole horses before dis night Tell her, ah git her a hawse effen Ah gits shot for it Den he laughs again an' say.
Cut and run home and before Ah gits started ker booom! Off goes a noise an Ah lak ter drap in mah tracks and he tells me
twain's Nuthin but de ammunition our emporiums blew up so's de Yankees don't git it a "He is coming? He's going to bring a
horse? So he says She drew a long breath of relief If there was any way of getting a horse. Rhett Butler would get one A
Smart man. Rhett, She would forgive him anything if he got them out of this mess Escape! And with Rhett, she would have
no fear Rhett would protect them Thank God for Rhett With safety in view she turned practical "Wake Wade up and dress
him and pack some clothes for all of us Put them in the small trunk And don't tell Miss Mellie was going Not yet But wrap
the baby in a couple of thick towels and be sure and pack his clothes" Prissy still clung to her skirts and hardly anything
showed in her eyes except the whites Scarlett gave her a shove and loosened her grip "Hurry." she cried and Prissy went off
like a rabbit Scarlett knew she should go in and quiet Melanie's fear. knew Melanie must be frightened out of her senses by
the thunderous noises that continued unabated and the glare that lighted the sky it looked and sounded like the end of the
World But she could not bring herself to go back into that room just yet she ran down the stairs with some idea of packing up
Miss Puttypat's China and the little silver she had left when she refugeed to Macon But when she reached the dining room.
her hands were shaking so badly she dropped three plates and shattered them she ran out onto the porch to listen and back
again to the dining room and dropped the silver clattering to the floor Everything she touched she dropped in her hurry she
slipped on the rag rug and fell to the floor with a jolt but leaped up so quickly she was not even aware of the pain Upstairs
she could hear Prissy galloping about like a wild animal and the sound maddened her. for she was galloping just as aimlessly
For the dozenth time, she ran out onto the Porch but this time she did not go back to her futile packing she sat down it was
just impossible to pack anything Impossible to do anything but sit with hammering heart and wait for Rheff it seemed hours
before he Come At last. far up the road, she heard the protesting screech of uncalled axles and the slow uncertain Plodding of
hooves Why didn't he hurry? Why didn't he make the horse frot? The sounds came nearer and she leaped to her feet and
called Rhett's name Then she saw him dimly as he climbed down from the seat of a small wagon. heard the clicking of the
gate as he came toward her He came into view and the light of the lamp showed him plainly His dress was as debonaire as if
he were going to a ball well-tailored white linen coat and trousers. embroidered gray Watered-silk Waistcoat and a hint of
ruffle on his shirt bosom His wide Panama hat was set dashingly on one side of his head and in the belt of his trousers was
thrust two worry-handled. long-barreled dueling Pistols The Pockets of his coat sagged heavily with communication He
came up the walk with the springy stride of a savage and his fine head was carried like a pagan Prince The dangers of the
night which had driven Scarlett into panic had affected him like an intoxicant There was a carefully restrained ferocity in his
dark face a ruthlessness which would have frightened her had she the wits to see if His black eyes danced as though amused
by the whole affair. as though the earth-splitting sounds and the horrid glare