The Struggle to Save the Town
Sim counted the figures that came trooping out through the opening
where the smashed door lay a wreck. When he found that none were
missing, a great load seemed lifted from his heart.
“Hurrah! it’s all working out as it should, and now we’ll see what
Rob Blake’s plan is going to do for Wyoming!” he found himself
shouting; although Sim was so greatly excited, he hardly knew
himself what he said.
Ralph could be seen with the reel of wire in his possession. He was
plainly unwinding it as he went, while Rob undertook to see that
there were no kinks in the strands as they came off the barrel of
the reel. Soon they were alongside Sim, who fell in step with the
others.
The Fire Chief looked additionally anxious. He undoubtedly knew what
tremendous issues were involved in this last effort to save the
town. Gallantly had he and his followers battled with the destroying
foe, but so long as that furious breeze held out, all their efforts
would have been in vain. He knew that unless some such desperate
remedy as this explosion came to the relief of the outclassed fire
department, the fate of Wyoming was sealed.
He devoted himself just now to seeing that there were no stragglers
close enough to the doomed building to be injured when the dynamite
was exploded. Several men belonging to one of the fire companies
could be seen nearby, trying to turn the nozzle of the hose they
wielded so that a stream of water would fall upon the old building;
for it was recognized that unless the conflagration could be halted
at this particular spot all work was useless.
Chief Megrue shouted to them, and when he had by this means caught
their attention, he beckoned wildly. Although they might not quite
understand what his motions meant, at least they were accustomed to
obeying orders without questioning.
Dragging their hose after them with an effort, they commenced to
head toward the spot where the Chief stood. This promised to take
time, for their load was heavy; and seconds just then counted
considerably more than a new supply of hose meant to the imperiled
town.
“Drop it, and come here as fast as you can run!” bellowed Chief
Megrue, using his hands in lieu of a megaphone; for it seemed that
he had lost his trumpet while hard pushed to escape from a fiery
trap when caught in a building that suddenly burst into flames,
giving him scant time to dash out again to safety.
The men looked as though they could not understand what he meant.
They evidently disliked abandoning a length of perfectly sound hose
when there seemed no absolute necessity for it. Again did the Chief
shout at them, continuing his wild beckoning at the same time.
“Hurry this way! Drop that hose, and come as fast as you can! We are
going to dynamite that building, don’t you understand, you fools?”
Perhaps that one word “dynamite” gave them their cue, for without
any further hesitation the three men dropped the hose, which
commenced to writhe like a snake as the force of the water passing
through the brass nozzle turned it this way and that. So they
started to run toward the Chief.
Meanwhile Ralph, assisted by Rob, had continued to move steadily
away. The wire would allow of their proceeding to a safe distance,
when the battery could be quickly attached, and a connection made.
Sim had now been joined by both Tubby and Andy. All of them felt
their hearts beating tumultuously, for no one could do more than
guess at the result of the bold plan.
One thing sure, they had not left the old building a minute too
soon. Why, it was on fire even then, for Sim could see flames
creeping along the roof. He wondered whether there would be any
break in the wire sufficient to prevent the full current of
electricity from passing along it when Ralph came to making the
contact. If such a thing did happen, it would be much too late to
try and remedy the defect, because after that time it must be sheer
madness for any one to dream of entering the deserted factory again.
Surely Ralph and Rob must by now have gained a sufficient distance
to be safe from any debris that might be thrown up into the air when
the explosion came. Still, Ralph was the doctor in this instance,
for he had had the experience in blasting out stumps and dislodging
great rocks by the use of the dynamite.
Mr. Jeffords was there, too, watching his boy with eagerness. Then,
besides, there were the trio of bedraggled firemen who had joined
their chief at his command, all of them deeply interested in the
success or failure of the scheme that meant so much for Wyoming.
The clamor all around them was just as boisterous as ever, for
certainly nothing had occurred to tone it down. The citizens, facing
complete destruction for their town, were hoarse with shouting; but
their main thought now was to make sure of the safety of the women
and children, who could be seen fleeing through most of the streets,
awed by the terrible nature of the calamity.
Nevertheless, none of those who watched Ralph and Rob paid the least
attention to these outside occurrences. The fire might roar, and the
populace shriek in terror, but just then their undivided attention
was given to the little drama being unfolded before their eyes.
Ah! Ralph no longer pushed on. Whether he had reached the end of his
wire coil, or believed that it was useless to cover more ground did
not matter. What did count was the fact that he and Rob were
feverishly attaching the battery and switch to the wires, showing
that they intended to test their hastily arranged programme without
further delay.
“Oh! hurry, hurry, please!” groaned Tubby, speaking to himself, of
course, but in so doing voicing the feeling that held sway in every
heart; for the building was rapidly being clutched in the ever
extending fingers of the fire, and would soon be such a mass of
flames that to wreck it might do more harm than good.
“It’s all ready!” whooped Sim, as he saw by the actions of the two
boys that they had succeeded in making the attachments.
Then Ralph pushed Rob forward. It could be seen that he meant to
force the scout leader to press the button that would complete the
work. Even in that dreadful moment Ralph did not forget that it had
been Rob’s brilliant idea, after all, and to his chivalrous mind it
seemed only right and proper that Rob’s hand should be the one by
means of which Wyoming might be saved.
Rob did not hesitate. This was no time for expostulation. He
proceeded to do as the other urged him. Those who stood by held
their breath with awe, watching the old deserted factory the while,
as though everything depended on the result of Ralph’s efforts.
They saw the building give a distinct shiver. Then the very earth
under them actually rocked as if an earthquake had taken place.
Tubby was thrown down, and the rest had more or less difficulty in
keeping on their feet, such was the concussion of air as the
dynamite went off.
They also heard a heavy roar, and then, wonder of wonders, the old
building seemed to collapse, to fall down like a house made of
cards. There was a horrible series of crashing sounds; some remnants
even fell close by the boys, though luckily none of them received
the slightest injury. Then, as the smoke shifted and the dust clouds
settled, they saw a great gap where the deserted factory had stood.
The Fire Chief was awake to the possibility of the debris presenting
a new peril. He immediately gave orders to the three men to make
their way forward, and if the hose were still in condition for use
to turn the nozzle toward the wreck.
Then he hastened away to fetch up others, so that all efforts might
be concentrated on that one section. The fight for the rest of the
town must be made then and there. Already a heavy blow had been
struck to beat back the fire; and if only it could be held to the
other side, the valuable plants might yet be saved.
Soon men came rushing along. An engine turned a corner and stopped
before a hydrant, with men jumping this way and that in the endeavor
to get connections with the least possible waste of time.
The explosion must have terrified most people who heard it, since
they could not but believe it meant the destruction of some mill. It
is wonderful, however, how news is flashed along from mouth to mouth
during such scenes of excitement as this; and, doubtless, when
people learned that the shock came from a desperate effort to
confine the fire to the side of the town where it had started, their
hopes would take a new bound upward.
“Will it force its way across in spite of everything, do you think,
Rob?” asked Tubby, solicitously, as he stood beside the patrol
leader, and watched the working fire-fighters battling so manfully.
“I hope not,” he was told, in a reassuring tone. “You can see how
they’re trying to soak the wall of that nearest factory so it can
hold out against the heat when the test comes. Besides that they are
getting more water on right along. Here comes another company, and
from the way the people keep cheering them I reckon they must belong
in another town, and have been rushed here by special train.”
It afterwards turned out that Rob had actually hit the truth when he
made this guess. Word of the dreadful imperiling catastrophe that
had come upon Wyoming must have been flashed to neighboring towns by
telegraph, as well as an appeal for assistance. Such a call is never
allowed to pass unheeded in American communities, and just as soon
as they could get the right of way a special train with the engine
and firefighters aboard had been dispatched, with the order to “burn
the rails” in making speed.
There was need of every available man and machine. The wall of fire
had by now arrived at the gap, and gave positive signs of being
disposed to leap across in order to complete its work of
destruction. Men fought madly to restrain it. Those who held the
various lines of hose pushed forward until their faces were scorched
by the heat, but in spite of all this they persisted, and would not
be denied.
“They’re holding it there, mark you!” shrilled Ralph in the ear of
Rob Blake, as all of them stood watching these exciting happenings,
their hearts almost in their throats, so to speak, such was the
weight of their anxiety.
Rob was encouraged. He began to believe that after all the devoted
firemen were going to come out victors in their fierce battle with
the element that had started in to ravage the whole town of Wyoming.
He bent most of his attention on the buildings close by, for if one
of them suddenly burst into flames it would mean that the worst that
could happen was about to commence.
Vainly did the flames dart forth, fanned by that still raging wind,
and endeavor to reach the buildings that had been cut off from their
grasp by the destruction of the old factory. The more they tried,
the greater the efforts of those who held the water nozzles
continued. Wherever a certain point was threatened there would be a
concentration of splashing fluid, and the enemy retreated, baffled
again and again.
Rob noticed presently that each time the fire made this attempt to
cross the divide it seemed to grow just a little weaker. He knew
that the fuel by means of which it was maintained was being devoured
at such a rate that, given time, the efforts of the Department would
prove successful. Even now matters had reached such a stage he
believed the worst to be over; and that victory was in the air.