HEADED SOUTH
They did work with a vim, for the smoke was getting more oppressive with
each passing second; and from the glimpse they had taken of the stairway
it was plain to the boys that presently the fire would wrap the whole
south end of the building in its grip, when their case would indeed be
desperate.
Each tore and knotted until as if by magic a long rope was fashioned.
True, it might betray them at the last and break, but Frank believed
the sheets to be of good material and nearly new.
He had not time to even test the frail rope, but fastened it around the
sleeping balloonist, under his arms.
"Now help me lift him over the window-sill," he cried.
They had little difficulty in doing that, for the professor was a small,
slight man. Once he was passed over the ledge, they began to lower away.
Frank only hoped in his heart that the fire might restrain its fury for a
brief space of time. If it darted out below it must catch the human
burden which they were lowering so speedily.
Shouts were heard outside. It seemed as though fully an hundred voices
were raised to applaud the daring feat of the two boys, as the figure of
the professor was seen coming rapidly down at the end of the rope made of
torn sheets.
"If it's only long enough!" gasped Jerry.
"Hurrah! they've got hold of him! He's saved!" roared Frank, as the
tremendous pull suddenly ceased.
They had about reached the end of the rope, so that this happy event
came just in the nick of time. Frank hurriedly fastened that end to the
bed-post.
"Climb out, Jerry, and slide down. Not a word now, or we may lose our
chance!"
Jerry had been about to object, wishing his chum to go first. He realized
the truth of what Frank said, however, and how foolish it would be to
stand back on a matter so small. Accordingly he clambered over the
window-sill and vanished from view.
Frank got in position to follow, and only waited until he had reason to
believe his chum had reached safety. The rope had done bravely, but it
certainly could never stand the strain of two of them at the same time.
And even as he waited there was a flash of fire below, as the flames ate
through the sheathing of the house. A tremendous yell went up.
"Come down, Frank--oh! quick!" he caught above the clamor, and he knew
that it was Will's shrill voice he heard.
The fire was perilously close to the rope. In a second it might catch
and be severed. Frank did not hesitate. He was accustomed to meeting
emergencies promptly, and doing the right thing.
Down he slipped, passing the threatening flame, in fact shooting through
it just as the rope began to be consumed in its hot breath. Frank had
almost reached the point of safety when he felt his support collapse, and
he dropped downward.
Something caught him, something that seemed endowed with life--the
extended arms of his three chums eagerly fashioned into a net, and he was
not injured, beyond a little singeing of his hair as he passed through
the fiery torch.
The boys were glad to get away from the crowd of enthusiastic admirers
who wanted to lift Frank and Jerry on their shoulders, and carry them
around town in triumph, something that felt repulsive to the lads.
But the lame brother of the man they had saved, seized upon them ere they
went off.
"A thousand thanks to you, for your brave deed!" he cried. "You have
saved a human life to-night, boys, and one of more than ordinary value.
My brother is employed by the Government to experiment with balloons and
aeroplanes, and his discoveries may prove a great thing for our nation in
case of a foreign war. To-morrow he will thank you himself, and from
his heart. Your mothers have cause to be proud of their sons, and I shall
tell them so myself."
From a distance the boys watched the hotel burn, and talked over the
affair just as though they might have been casual watchers, and had no
particular interest in the matter. And yet two of them had come very
close to sacrificing their young lives in attempting to save that of
another.
Both Bluff and Will had suffered tortures while their chums were
inside the doomed structure. Their voices had led all the rest as the
sheet-rope fell from the upper window, with the form of the professor
dangling at the end, for they knew the daring plan of their mates had
been a brilliant success.
The fire did not jump to any of the nearby dwellings or stores, thanks to
the efficient labors of the department, the members of which worked like
Trojans in order to confine it to its original field.
When it had died down the boys separated once more, and the hearty grip
that passed between them was evidence of the sincere affection that bound
this quartette of clean, manly fellows in common.
Neither Frank nor Jerry said a word to their parents about the heroic
part they had played in the rescue of Professor Smythe. Imagine the
astonishment of Frank's father when that gentleman, in company with his
brother, a respected business man of Centerville, called at the house,
the next morning after breakfast, and related the whole circumstance.
And when Frank and Jerry were called down from the den, where, in company
with the others, they were doing some packing, they blushed under the
hearty words of praise heaped upon them by the two gentlemen.
"Why, I'm going South myself, boys," declared the balloonist, when he
heard of their contemplated trip, "and wouldn't it be a queer thing now
if we happened to come across one another down in Dixieland? I'm heading
for Atlanta, to steer my big balloon to the eastward at the first
favorable chance, in order to settle some questions about air currents
that have long been baffling us all. Depend on it, if I could do you any
sort of a favor I'd go far out of my way to try and even up the debt I
owe you."
Little did any of them suspect under what strange conditions their next
meeting would really be.
All Centerville was ringing with the story of the brave exploit of Frank
and Jerry. When the latter reached home that noon he was overwhelmed
with hysterical words of praise from his mother; while his father had
come home from his office, beset by a dozen acquaintances desirous of
congratulating him on having a son of such heroic mould.
Jerry was very uneasy under all this favorable comment. He did not like
to be looked upon as differing in any degree from other boys.
"Any fellow would have done the same thing. We were lucky enough to have
the chance, that's all," he insisted, as his mother kissed him again and
again, crying a little at the same time at the thought of what might have
happened; while his father gripped his hand and patted him on the back
affectionately.
By afternoon the boys decided that they had everything packed they could
think of, and after that they began to try and possess their souls in
patience.
"No sleep for me to-night, fellows," declared Jerry, as he prepared to go
home, as supper-time came around.
"I'd advise you to try and get a few winks if you can. To-morrow night
we'll be on the train, and not much chance then. It's a lucky thing
that all of us know something about machinery. Our experience with our
motor-cycles will come in good play now. And here's Jerry been studying
up on the running of an automobile with that retired chauffeur, Garrison,
who's teaching Andy Lasher how to run a car."
"Yes, but, Frank, how about you taking lessons about the engine of a
motor-boat? I know you've got several books on the subject since your
father half promised to put a little craft on Lake Camalot next season,"
remarked Jerry.
"Well," laughed Frank, fairly caught, "between the lot of us it'll be
strange if we don't know how to handle that dandy boat of Cousin
Archie's--the _Jessamine_ he calls her."
"Three cheers for the _Jessamine,_ then!" said Bluff.
They were given with a will, after which the boys separated. Since this
would be their last night at home for two weeks they had sensibly
decided to spend it in the bosom of their families. Everything was done,
at any rate, so that it was useless to bother about that matter any more.
In spite of Frank's warning it is very unlikely that any one of the four
slept very soundly. The near future beckoned to them with such grand
possibilities concerning the sport they loved, that they could not get it
out of their minds; and innumerable plans for the happy times ahead kept
their brains busy the major portion of that last night under the parental
roof-trees.
Finally the morning dawned, with a light snow falling. There was a bustle
in at least four homes that day, and presently the intending travelers
gathered at the station long before the train was due that would take
them on to Philadelphia, and then, with a change of cars, to the
beckoning sunny Southland.
And when finally the parting moment came, there were hurried good-byes,
the bags were thrown into the baggage car, and as the train pulled out
those of their school friends who had come down to see them off, as well
as their relatives, waved a shower of handkerchiefs amid a chorus of
shouts.
"Hurrah!" cried Bluff, as he settled down in his seat, "we're on the way
to the greatest time of our lives!"'