THE FIRE TEST.
Touched with reckless bravery, foolhardiness in fact, as Rob's act had
appeared to be, yet he had not acted without taking due thought. As
always in emergencies, his mind worked with great swiftness. He had no
sooner made up his mind that it was his duty, cost what it might, to save
that innocent little one's life, than he had hit upon a plan.
If the child was lodged in the center of the building, he knew full well
that long before its life must have been yielded up to the fire demon.
But if the quarters of the janitor were, as he believed, in the south
corner of the school, then there was still a chance. The mother's words
had put him out of all doubt on this score and Rob instantly determined
to face the most daring act of his life.
The rooms at the south side of the building had been used by the Academy
boys as a gymnasium before their present quarters were built, so that Rob
was thoroughly familiar with the stairways leading to them. So far as he
could see it would be possible, by using a side door, to dodge the flames
shooting up the center of the building. There was a winding stairway that
existed on this side of the structure quite independent of the main
flight which, by this time, must have fallen in.
With Rob, to arrive at a decision was to act upon it. As we have seen, he
had lost no time in making for the doorway. He had, in fact, a double
reason for his haste. For one thing, every second would count, and, for
another, he realized that to many in the crowd his act would appear to
border on madness, and that an attempt might be made to hold him back.
"The boy's a fool!" yelled someone in the crowd behind Merritt.
Quick as a flash Rob's chum faced around, indignation shining in his
eyes, which had, a second before, been dimmed with tears.
"No, sir; however Rob makes out, he's a hero," he shot back, while a
murmur of approbation ran through the crowd.
"Keep your places, boys," he ordered the next instant, for the Scouts,
half wild with anxiety and excitement, were beginning to waver and allow
the crowd to surge forward. Merritt's words stiffened them. In a moment
they were recalled to a sense of that duty of which they had just
witnessed such a conspicuous example.
The instant Rob crossed the threshold of that door he found himself
surrounded by smoke. But he bent low, and throwing his coat more closely
above his head, he crouched on all fours so as to get below the level of
the acrid fumes that made his eyes smart cruelly. Suddenly he stumbled
over something, and as he saw in the dim light what it was he gave a glad
gasp. It was a bucket of water, left on the stairway after the regular
Saturday scrubbing.
Rob was a Scout who knew, from careful study of his Manual, just what to
do in emergencies. He recalled now that in case of being compelled to
enter a smoky, blazing building, it was recommended to bind a wet cloth
over mouth and nostrils in such a way as to act as a respirator.
Instantly he saturated his handkerchief in the water and bound it on his
face in the manner advocated.
Then he began what was to prove a terrible climb. The school was three
stories in height, the lower two floors containing study rooms and
offices and the top floor lumber rooms and the apartments occupied
temporarily by the janitor.
Breathing with more ease now that he had bound up his face, Rob fought
his way upward. It was as murky as a pit, and it seemed that the stairs
were interminable. Suddenly he stumbled and fell headlong. He had gained
the first landing. Through a door opening upon it jets of flame, like
serpents' tongues, were beginning to shoot. Rob staggered toward the door
and slammed it to. He knew that this was absolutely necessary, for in the
case of the staircase being in flames when it came time for him to
retrace his steps his retreat would be cut off.
But that was a thought he did not dare to dwell upon. Steeling himself
anew he pushed stubbornly on to the next flight.
"It's lucky I know this place as well as I do," he thought, as he gamely
kept up the fight against what appeared almost overwhelming odds.
As he climbed higher it grew hotter. The place was like the interior of a
volcano. Beyond the wall of the stairway Rob could hear the flames
roaring like the beat of the surf on a rocky coast. It almost seemed as
if the fire demon possessed an articulate voice and was howling his rage
and defiance at the boy who had dared to face his terrors. But, hot as it
was growing, Rob yet found some small grain of comfort in the fact that
the smoke was not so thick.
He breathed more freely even if his throat was becoming dry as dust and
whistled in an odd way as he climbed higher. At last he reached the
summit of the second flight.
He paused irresolutely on the landing. Several doors opened off it. Now
that he was actually there, Rob was confused for an instant. He was not
quite so sure of his bearings as he had thought he would be. But the roar
of the flames below and about him warned him to lose not a second of
precious time in procrastination.
He plunged into the door nearest at hand. Within he found himself in a
room which was evidently a dining room. Supper was ready spread on the
table. A lamp illumined the scene. How odd it seemed to be gazing at this
peaceful domestic setting, while below and to one side of him, devouring
flames were roaring and leaping. Save for a strong smell of smoke and a
slight bluish haze, the room might have been a thousand miles away from
the flaming building in which it was located.
Suddenly, as the boy stood there looking swiftly about him, there came a
crash that shook the whole place like an earthquake.
"A floor's fallen!" gasped Rob. "Pray heaven it's not taken any part of
that stairway with it!"
Brave as he was, the young scout turned pale and actually shook for an
instant like a leaf. He knew full well that if that stairway, or any part
of it, was gone, he was doomed to die as irrevocably as if a death
sentence had been pronounced upon him. All at once, from a room opening
off the dining room came a wailing cry.
"Muvver! Muvver, I'se fwightened!"
Rob's heart gave a quick bound and he galvanized into instant action, a
great contrast to his temporary state of stupefaction!
"All right, youngster. Don't cry, I'm coming," he called out, plunging
forward.
Inside the room was a small crib, with a child about three years old
lying on it clasping a doll in her arms.
"Who's oo?" she demanded in some alarm, as Rob, with his handkerchief
tied over his face, advanced.
"Me? Why--why, I'm a fireman," exclaimed Rob; and then, with an
inspiration, "Let's play that the place is on fire and I'm going to save
you."
The child clapped her hands and her eyes shone. Rob picked her out of her
crib and carried her tenderly out of the room.
"Now I'm going to cover your face just like real firemen do," he said, as
they emerged on the landing and the hot breath of the furnace below was
spewed up at them.
"Is dat in de game," inquired the child doubtfully, "an' will oo cover
dolly's, too?"
"Yes, it's all part of the game," Rob reassured her. "Now then, there we
are."
He enveloped the child in his coat which he had already removed and
started for the landing. Suddenly he stopped, and from under the coat
came a muffled but inquisitive voice:
"Is 'oo cwyin', Mister Fireman?"
No, Rob was not crying; but he had just seen something that made his
breath come heavingly and his heart almost stop beating. Below him he
could see a dull red glow, growing momentarily brighter. No need was
there for him to speculate on what that meant.
The stairway was on fire. His one means of escape from the blazing
building was cut off.
For an instant Rob's head swam dizzily. He felt sick and shaky. Was he to
die there in that inferno of flames? A cry was forced wildly from his
cracked lips.
"Not like this! Oh, not like this!" he begged, raising his eyes upward.