THE DEED OF A HERO
At the moment of Dick's leap from the car, Sub-master Luce did
not know what had happened. He realized in an instant what was
the matter, and made frantic efforts to reach the scene at the
same moment with Prescott.
Dick, however, kept the lead.
As the flames shot up through the hay the children on top of the
hay began to gather a sense of their awful danger.
Seconds---fractions of seconds---were of priceless value now---if
lives were to be saved.
There was still time for the two children to jump over the side
on which the flames had not yet appeared, but they were too badly
frightened to know what to do.
If they should jump where the flames were leaping up they were
almost certain to have their clothing catch fire, with fatal burns
as a result.
Dick felt that he did not have time to shout to the frightened
children. Besides, his commands would likely serve only to confuse
them the more.
Terror-stricken the two little ones clasped each other and stood
screaming with fear on the top of the load.
Dick's quick eye had taken in the only chance in this terrifying
situation.
Straight for the apple tree he bounded, his first leap carrying
him into a crotch in the tree a few feet above the ground.
Out he sprang, now, on a limb of the tree that most nearly overhung
the load of hay.
That limb sagged under him---creaked---threatened to snap off
under his weight.
But young Prescott, wholly heedless of his own safety, and with
only one object in mind, scrambled out on the creaking limb as
far as he could; then, with a prayer on his lips, he made a wild,
strenuous leap.
Sub-master Luce turned white as he saw what Dick had attempted
to do. Had he been made of more timorous stuff the high school
teacher would have closed his eyes for that awful instant.
As it was, John Luce saw young Prescott land at the rear end of
the load.
Dick felt himself slipping. For one frenzied second, he feared
that he had failed. Young Strongheart that he was, he braced
all his muscles for the supreme effort---and drew himself up to
safer footing on the hay.
Then, like an eagle, he swooped down upon the children. The little
girl he snatched from her tiny brother's clasp.
"Here!" called Sub-master Luce from the further side.
Brief as the time was Dick Prescott calculated the distance like
lightning. There was no time to call back to Mr. Lucen---nor
need to do so.
Aiming with all the precision at his command, Dick threw the child
from him.
His aim splendidly true, he had the joy of seeing the child land
in Mr. Luce's arms.
Without a moment's loss of time Prescott now snatched up the shrieking
boy.
"Ready!" shouted Dick, and a second little body was thrown through
the air.
Again did John Luce do credit to his college baseball training,
for, hurriedly placing the girl baby on the ground he put up his
hands to receive the boy.
"Jump yourself, Prescott!" bawled the submaster hoarsely.
But Dick was already in the air. With the flames shooting up
and seeming fairly to lick his face, Dick had had no time to calculate
his jump.
On the ground, some feet beyond the wagon, Prescott landed, sprawling
on all fours.
He leaped up, however, his face twitching yet with a laugh on
his lips.
Behind him the whole load of hay now flared up, crackling and
hissing.
"Hurry back out of the heat!" yelled John Luce, leaping forward,
seizing young Prescott and dragging him several yards away.
Dick turned in time to see the whole glowing mass cave in.
Had he arrived on the scene a few seconds later than he did both
children would have perished miserably.
Now, from the house came a white-faced man, running as though
some demon animated him. Behind him came a woman even paler.
Toward father and mother ran the pair of little tots, wholly unmindful
of their rescuers.
As for the older, match-burning boy, that youngster half scared
to death, had dashed away into hiding to escape the wrath that
he knew must soon seek him.
"That was simply magnificent, Prescott!" said the sub-master
enthusiastically. "But I honestly believed that it would be your
last good deed."
While the sub-master spoke he was running both hands up and down
over the high school boy's clothing, putting out many glowing
sparks that had found lodgment in the cloth.
"It was easy," smiled Dick. "Thank goodness I saw the trouble
in time!"
"There are others who are thankful that you saw it in time," uttered
John Luce, as he looked toward the parents, now coming up as fast
as they could, each with a child clasped in arms.
From the road went up a loud cheer. The trolley car had been
halted and backed down to the scene. Though there were few people
on the car, they made up amply in enthusiasm for their lack of
numbers.
As for the farmer and his wife, though they tried to thank Dick
and Mr. Luce, they were too completely overcome with emotion to
express themselves intelligibly.
The wagon that had held the hay was now blazing fiercely. As
for the hay, that had already burned to a fine powder.
"How---how did you ever get here in time?" cried the rejoicing
mother brokenly.
It was the conductor of the trolley car, just reaching the spot,
who told how Dick Prescott and Mr. Luce had leaped from the moving
car. The sub-master described Dick's feat in climbing the apple
tree and leaping from the limb of the tree to the top of the loaded
hay wagon.
"It was a nervy thing for any man to do!" choked the farmer, tears
of joy running down his cheeks.
"It was just like Dick Prescott," replied John Luce simply.
As soon as possible Dick and the sub-master made their escape
from the earnest protestations of gratitude of the farmer and
his wife, though they did not go until Mr. Luce had persuaded
the parents not to whip the mischievous match-burner, but to content
themselves with pointing out to the little rascal the dreadful
possibilities of such pranks.
At last, however, Dick and Mr. Luce returned to the car followed
by the other passengers. The conductor gave the go-ahead signal,
and the motor-man started in to try to make up some of the time
lost from his schedule.
Dick, as soon as he reached Gridley, went up to Greg Holmes' house,
where he knew his chums would be waiting to learn the result of
his Tottenville trip.
That evening Sub-master Luce chanced to take a stroll up Main
Street. As the offices of the "Morning Blade" were lighted up,
Mr. Luce stepped inside, seeking Editor Pollock in the editorial
room.
"Is Prescott about?" asked Mr. Luce, for Dick, as our readers
know, earned many a dollar as a "space-writer"; that is, he was
paid so much a column for furnishing and writing up local news.
"Dick went out about ten minutes ago," replied Mr. Pollock.
"Was he here long?"
"About fifteen minutes."
"By the way, Mr. Pollock," the sub-master went on, "what do you
think of Dick's latest feat?"
"Which one?"
"His fine work over on the Tottenville road this afternoon?"
"I haven't heard of it," replied Mr. Pollock, opening his eyes.
"Come to think of it," rejoined John Luce, "and knowing young
Prescott as I do, I don't suppose you have heard of it---not from
Prescott, at all events."
Then the sub-master told the story of the burning load of hay
in a way that made the "Blade's" editor reach hastily for pencil
and paper that he might take notes.
"That's just the kind of story that Dick Prescott never could
be depended upon to bring in here---if he was the central character
in it," observed the editor quietly.
Despite the failure of Dick to bring in this particular story,
however, the "Blade," the next morning, printed more than a column
from the data furnished by Mr. Luce.
Dick, however, didn't hear of it---in Gridley. It was Harry Hazelton,
who, at four o'clock, mounted a horse he had hired for the trip
and rode over to Tottenville, where the camp wagon was obtained
from Mr. Newbegin Titmouse. Hazelton wasted no time on the road,
but drove as fast as the horse could comfortably travel.
It was but a few minutes after six o'clock, that August morning,
when Dick Prescott and his five chums, collectively famous as
Dick & Co., drove out of Gridley.
Harry Hazelton was now the driver, the other five high school
boys walking briskly just ahead of the wagon.
Mr. Titmouse's special vehicle carried all that Dick & Co. would
need in the near future, and the six boys were setting out on
what was destined to be their most famous vacation jaunt.