on she had ever heard。 The sky was rent with gigantic flame。 Then other explosions。 The earth shook and the glass in the panes above her head shivered and came down around her。
The world became an inferno of noise and flame and trembling earth as one explosion followed another in ear…splitting 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。
Through the 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 arm in a grip that seemed to pinch out pieces of flesh。
“The Yankees—” cried Scarlett。
“No’m； its our gempmums！” yelled Prissy between breaths； digging her nails deeper into Scarlett’s arm。 “Dey’s buhnin’ de foun’ry an’ de ahmy supply depots an’ de wa’houses an’； fo’ Gawd； Miss Scarlett； dey done set off dem sebenty freight cahs of cannon balls an’ gunpowder an’； Jesus； we’s all gwine ter buhn up！”
She began yelping again shrilly and pinched Scarlett 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 get away！ She rallied her frightened forces together。
“If I don’t get a hold on myself；” she thought； “I’ll be squalling like a scalded cat！” 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 ceased her yelling but her teeth chattered。
“Yas’m； Ah finely foun’ him。 In a bahroom； lak you told me。 He—”
“Never mind where you found him。 Is he coming？ Did you tell him to bring his horse？”
“Lawd； Miss Scarlett； he say our gempmums done tuck his hawse an’ cah’ige fer a amberlance。”
“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。
“Well’m； lak you tole me； Ah foun’ him in a bahroom。 Ah stood outside an’ yell fer him an’ he come out。 An’ ter…reckly he see me an’ Ah starts tell him； de sojers tech off a sto’ house down Decatur Street an’ it flame up an’ he say Come on an’ he grab me an’ we runs ter Fibe Points an’ he say den： What now？ Talk fas’。 An’ Ah say you say； Cap’n Butler； come quick an’ bring yo’ hawse an’ cah’ige。 Miss Melly done had a chile an’ you is bustin’ ter get outer town。 An’ he say： Where all she studyin’ ‘bout goin’？ An’ Ah say： Ah doan know； suh； but you is boun’ ter go fo’ de Yankees gits hyah an’ wants him ter go wid you。 An’ he laugh an’ 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。
“An’ den he say； Tell Miss Scarlett ter res’ easy。 Ah’ll steal her a hawse outer de ahmy crall effen dey’s ary one lef。 An’ he say； Ah done stole hawses befo’ dis night。 Tell her Ah git her a hawse effen Ah gits shot fer it。 Den ‘he laugh agin an’ say； Cut an’ run home。 An’ befo’ Ah gits started Ker…bloom！ Off goes a noise an’ Ah lak ter drap in mah tracks an’ he tell me twarnt nuthin’ but de ammernition our gempmums blowin’ up so’s de Yankees don’t git it an’—”
“He is coming？ He’s going to bring a horse？”
“So he say。”
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 an of us。 Put them in the small trunk。 And don’t tell Miss Mellie we’re going。 Not yet。 But wrap the baby in a couple of thick towels and be sure and pack his clothes。”
Prissy still dang 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 Pittypat’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 Rhett。 It seemed hours before he came。 At last； far up the road； she heard the protesting screech of unoiled axles and the slow uncertain plodding of hooves。 Why didn’t he hurry？ Why didn’t he make the horse trot？
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 debonair 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 were thrust two ivory…handled； long…barreled dueling pistols。 The pockets of his coat sagged heavily with ammunition。
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 it。
His black eyes danced as though amused by the whole affair； as though the earth…splitting sounds and the horrid glare were merely things to frighten children。 She swayed toward him as he came up the steps； her face white； her green eyes burning。
“Good evening；” he said； in his drawling voice； as he removed his hat with a sweeping gesture。 “Fine weather we’re having。 I hear you’re going to take a trip。”
“If you make any jokes； I shall never speak to you again；” she said with quivering voice。
“Don’t tell me you are frightened！” He pretended to be surprised and smiled in a way that made her long to push him backwards down the steep steps。
“Yes； I am！ I’m frightened to death and if you had the sense God gave a goat； you’d be frightened too。 But we haven’t got time to talk。 We must get out of here。”
“At your service； Madam。 But just where were you figuring on going？ I made the trip out here for curiosity； just to see where you were intending to go。 You can’t go north or east or south or west The Yankees are all around。 There’s just one road out of town which the Yankees haven’t got yet and the army is retreating by that road。 And that road won’t be open long。 General Steve Lee’s cavalry is fighting a rear…guard action at Rough and Ready to hold it open long enough for the army to get away。 If you follow the army down the McDonough road； they’ll take the horse away from you and； while it’s not much of a horse； I did go to a lot of trouble stealing it。 Just where are you going？”
She stood shaking； listening to his words； hardly hearing them。 But at his question she suddenly knew where she was going； knew that all this miserable day she had known where she was going。 The only place。
“I’m going home；” she said。
“Home？ You mean to Tara？”
“Yes； yes！ To Tara！ Oh； Rhett； we must hurry！”
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind。
“Tara？ God Almighty； Scarlett！ Don’t you know they fought all day at Jonesboro？ Fought for ten miles up and down the road from Rough and Ready even into the streets of Jonesboro？ The Yankees may be all over Tara by now； all over the County。 Nobody knows where they are but they’re in that neighborhood。 You can’t go home！ You can’t go right through the Yankee army！”
“I will go home！” she cried。 “I will！ I will！”
“You little fool；” and his voice was swift and rough。 “You can’t go that way。 Even if you didn’t run into the Yankees； the woods are full of stragglers and deserters from both armies。 And lots of our troops are still retreating from Jonesboro。 They’d take the horse away from you as quickly as the Yankees would。 Your only chance is to follow the troops down the McDonough road and pray that they won’t see you in the dark。 “You can’t go to Tara。 Even if you got there； you’d probably find it burned down。 I won’t let you go home。 It’s insanity。”
“I will go home！” she cried and her voice broke and rose to a scream。 “I will go home！ You can’t stop me！ I will go home！ I want my