After a day of playing in the snow and building a "morphodite snowman," Scout is awakened by Atticus on the coldest night of the year. Jem is already awake and standing "groggy and tousled" alongside his father. It's shortly after 1 a.m. Scout does not have to ask Atticus what the problem is.
Just as the birds know where to go when it rains, I knew when there was trouble in our street. Soft taffeta-like sounds and muffled scurrying sounds filled me with helpless dread.
The street is full of people, and when the children get to their porch, they "saw fire spewing from Miss Maudie's diningroom windows." Their favorite neighbor's house had caught fire--probably from a faulty flue--and her friends were trying to save what they could from inside the house. Althought some of the furniture and other items were salvaged,
"It's gone, ain't it?" moaned Jem.
"I expect so," said Atticus.
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