The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound Part 9

"Then for goodness sake tell us what you have on your mind," urged Tom Betts, impulsively.

"As the second in command in our patrol," Jack went on gravely, "since Paul failed to say anything about it, I feel it my solemn duty to warn several of our number to be extra careful how they gorge at Christmas dinner to-morrow. Too much turkey and plum pudding have stretched out many a brave scout before now. If there are several vacancies in our ranks Monday morning we'll know what to lay it all to. I beg of you to abstain, if you want to feel fresh and hearty at the start."

A general laugh greeted the warning, and every one looked particularly at Bobolink, much to his confusion.

"If the shoe fits, put it on, everybody," Bobolink remarked stoutly.

"As for me, I'd already made up my mind to be satisfied with one helping all around. And when a Link says a thing he always keeps his word."

"Well," remarked Phil Towns, wickedly, "we hope that this time we won't have to refer to our chum as the 'Missing Link,' that's all."

That caused another mild eruption of boyish laughter, and before Bobolink could make a caustic reply a sudden loud metallic clang startled them.

"Listen, it's the fire alarm!" exclaimed Tom Betts.

Again the sound came with startling distinctness.

Boylike, Jack and his friends forgot everything else just then in this new excitement. Stanhope had a volunteer fire department, like most small towns in that section of the country. Stanhope was proud of its fire laddies, who had, on numerous previous occasions, proved their skill at fighting the flames. Already loud shouts could be heard in various quarters, as men threw up windows and called to neighbors.

"Where can it be, do you think?" demanded Jud Elderkin, as the group of lads stood ready for flight, only waiting to catch some definite clue, so that they might not start on a wild-goose chase.

"Seems to me I c'n see a flickering light over yonder!" cried Spider s.e.xton, as he pointed toward the heart of the town.

"You're right, Spider!" echoed Tom Betts. "That's where the fire lies.

See how it keeps on getting brighter right along, showing that the blaze has got a firm grip. Hey! wait for me, can't you, fellows?"

"Wait your granny!" shouted Bobolink over his shoulder as he fled wildly down the street. "Run for all your worth, old ice-wagon. Whoop!

here we come, Stanhope's fire-fighters!"

There was excitement on every side of them now. Doors opened to emit men hastily donning rubber coats and firemen's hats. Women and children had commenced to scream at each other across dividing fences.

Dogs began to join in the general confusion by barking madly. And above all the increasing clamor, the brazen notes of the fire bell continued to clang furiously.

The nine scouts, being already on the street at the time the alarm was turned in, had a big advantage over others, since they were dressed in the beginning. As they ran on they were joined by a number of men and women who had chanced to be up at this late hour, possibly decorating Christmas trees for the benefit of the children on the coming morning.

CHAPTER X

THE ACCUSATION

"Can you guess where it is, Jack?" gasped Frank Savage as he strove to keep alongside the other while running to the fire.

Just then they reached a corner, and as they dashed around it they came in plain sight of the conflagration.

"It's Briggs' store, fellows!" shouted Frank over his shoulder.

Ten seconds later all of them were on the spot where already a little cl.u.s.ter of men and boys were gathered, some of them near neighbors, others having come up ahead of the scouts.

"Hey! what's this I see?" Bobolink said to his chum nearest him; "two of the Lawson crowd here, dodging about and grinning as if they thought it a picnic?"

"Look at old Briggs, will you?" cried Sandy Griggs. "He's dancing around like a chicken after you've chopped its head off."

"Did you ever see anybody so excited?" demanded Bobolink. "Hold on!

what's that he's saying now about somebody setting his store afire on purpose?"

"It's a black scheme to get me out of compet.i.tion!" the little, old storekeeper was crying as he wrung his hands wildly. "Somebody must have known that my insurance ran out three weeks ago, and for once I neglected to renew it! I shall be ruined if it all goes! Why don't some of you try to save my property?"

"Boys, it seems that it's up to us to get busy and do something!"

exclaimed Frank Savage, immediately.

"It comes hard to work for the old skinflint," declared Bobolink, "but I s'pose we're bound to forget everything but that some one's stuff is in danger, and that we belong to the scouts!"

"Come on then, everybody, and let's sling things around!" cried Jud Elderkin.

No matter how the fire started it was burning fiercely, and promised to give the volunteer firemen a good fight when they arrived, as they were likely to do at any moment now. Indeed, loud cries not far away, accompanied by the rush of many heavily booted feet and the trampling of horses' hoofs announced that the engine, hook and ladder, and chemical companies were close at hand.

The nine scouts dashed straight at the store front. The door stood conveniently open, though they could only hazard a guess as to how it came so--possibly when brought to the spot with the first alarm of fire the owner had used his key to gain an entrance.

Into the store tumbled the boys. The interior was already pretty well filled with an acrid smoke that made their eyes run; but through it they could manage to see the barrels and boxes so well remembered.

These some of the scouts started to get out as best they could. Jack, realizing that in all probability the rolls of cloth and silks on the shelves would suffer worst from the water soon to be applied, led several of his companions to that quarter.

They were as busy as the proverbial beaver, rushing goods outdoors where they could be taken in hand by others, and placed in temporary security. A couple of the local police force had by this time reached the scene, and they could be depended on to guard Mr. Briggs' property as it was gathered in the street.

The owner of the store seemed half beside himself, rushing this way and that, and saying all manner of bitter things. Even at that moment, when the boys of Stanhope were making such heroic efforts to save his property, he seemed to entertain suspicions regarding them, for he often called out vague threats as to what would happen if they dared take anything belonging to him.

Now came the volunteer fire-fighters, with loud hurrahs. There seemed no need of the ladders, but the fire engine was quickly taken to the nearest cistern and the suction pipe lowered. When that reservoir was emptied others in the near vicinity would be tapped, and if the water supply held out the fire could possibly be gotten under control.

That was likely to be the last time the citizens of Stanhope would have to cope with a fire in their midst, armed with such old-fashioned weapons. A new waterworks system was being installed, and in the course of a couple of weeks Stanhope hoped to be supplied with an abundance of clear spring water through the network of pipes laid under the town streets during the preceding summer and fall.

Mr. Forbes, the efficient foreman of the fire company, was the right sort of man for the work. He was one of the town blacksmiths, a fine citizen, and highly respected by every one.

As his heavy voice roared out orders the men under him trailed the hose out, the engine began to work furiously, sending out black smoke from its funnel, and the men who handled the chemical engine brought it into play.

Even in that time, when dozens of things pressed hard upon the foreman demanding his attention, he found occasion to speak words of encouragement to the busy scouts as they trooped back and forth, carrying all sorts of bulky articles out of the reach of the flames.

"Good boys, every one of you!" he called out to them as Jack and Bobolink came staggering along with their arms filled with bolts of Mr. Briggs' most cherished silks, "you've got the making of prize firemen in you I can see. Don't overdo it, though, lads; and make way for the men with the hose!"

By the time the first stream of water was turned on the fire the flames were leaping upward, and the entire back part of the store seemed to be doomed. Being a frame building and very old it had been like matchwood in the path of the flames.

"Now watch how they slam things down on the old fire!" exclaimed Bobolink as he stood aside unable to enter the store again since the firemen had taken possession of the premises. "The water will do more damage than the fire ever had a chance to accomplish."

"Wow! see them smash those windows in, will you!" shouted Jud Elderkin, as a man with a fire axe made a fresh opening in one side of the store in order to put a second line of hose to work.

Everybody was calling out, and what with the crackling of the hungry flames, the neighing of the horses that had drawn the fire-engine to the spot, the whooping of gangs of delighted boys, and a lot of other miscellaneous sounds, Bedlam seemed to have broken loose in Stanhope on this night before Christmas.

"They've got the bulge on it already, seems like," announced Tom Betts.