The Young Engineers in Arizona Part 29

Hazelton sprang to his chum's side, the two fighting desperately to drive away the men who held Frank Danes captive.

"Wait a few hours at least, men!" Tom appealed earnestly. "Don't do anything now that you'll be sorry for to-morrow."

Other men of calm judgment began to see the force of Reade's remarks.

Tom and Harry were swiftly backed by such reinforcements that the trembling wretch was torn from his would-be destroyers.

"Reade," sobbed Frank Danes, "as long as I live I'll never forget your splendid conduct."

"Shut up!" retorted Tom roughly. "I don't want to have to knock you down again. It might start a riot that no man could quell."

"Pa.s.s the skulking tenderfoot out to us!" implored some of the men on the edge of the crowd, among whom was the man with the spare rope.

"No! We won't disgrace the town with a lynching," Tom shot back. "Wait until cool judgment has had time to do its work."

"Bear a hand there!" roared Harry. "Help the firemen to save the next building. Follow me!"

Thus led, the fickle crowd started to the aid of the firemen.

"Come with me, Danes," whispered Tom hoa.r.s.ely, sternly. "Keep your distance, however, or I shall lay violent hands on you."

Once out of the glare of light cast by the burning of the hotel, Tom Reade pointed down a dark side street.

"There's your way, Danes," whispered Reade. "Skip! Be far from Paloma by daylight--or nothing will save you."

"Do you consider me responsible for that fire?" faltered Danes.

"Hazelton and I went through that fire," Tom retorted sternly. "We had a hard fight to save that woman and her babies, and were nearly choked with the fumes of the coal oil with which the fire was kindled. I couldn't swear, in court, Danes, that you started the blaze, but your coat and your hands have the odor of coal oil."

Dane's face turned pale, his legs shaking under him.

"So, you see," continued Tom savagely, "you'll do well to escape before anyone else notices the smell of coal oil on you."

"You've been mighty good to me--and I--" chattered Danes.

"Shut up, as I advised you before!" rasped Tom Reade. "I've been as good to you as I'd be to a rattlesnake. Get out of Arizona before the men of this town suspect--understand--you?"

"I will," Frank Danes agreed, his teeth chattering.

"Don't ever show your face again in this part of the world."

"I won't, Reade. Again, my thanks--"

"Shut up!" Tom insisted. "Thanks from you would make me feel like a traitor to the community. Skip! Carry word to the Colthwaite Company, however, that their latest scheme against us has failed like the others!"

At mention of the Colthwaits, Danes turned and fled in earnest.

"That was their second attempt," muttered Tom grimly, as he turned back to where the flames still held dominion. "I wonder if I shall be as lucky when the third attempt against me is made?"

CHAPTER XVII. TIM GRIGGS "GETS HIS"

In another hour the spot where the hotel had stood was marked only by a shapeless ma.s.s of smoking embers.

The citizens of the town went back to their beds. Mrs. Gerry and her children had recovered consciousness and had found a friendly lodging for the night.

The rescue performed by Tom and Harry had been a simple enough achievement.

Shut off from every other means of escape, they remembered the dumbwaiter that ran from the kitchen up to the floors above.

The two little children were sent down on the dumb-waiter, Harry riding on the top of the wooden frame. Mrs. Gerry's rescue was delayed until Harry could send the dumb-waiter up to the third floor, where she and Tom awaited its return. Aided by Tom, she descended to the kitchen without accident; then Tom followed, sliding down the rope. It was but the work of a moment to break through the bas.e.m.e.nt window and pa.s.s the woman and her children out to safety.

Morning found Proprietor Carter somewhat resigned to his loss. True, the hotel had been destroyed and the embers must be removed, but both building and contents had been fairly well insured.

"I'm a few thousand out," said the hotel man philosophically, "but I have my ground yet, and, the insurance money will allow me to rebuild., and put up a more modern hotel. Of course I'll be a few thousand dollars in debt, to start with, but after a short while I'll have earned the money that I've lost."

"Why did you smile when poor Carter was talking about his loss?"

demanded Harry, as the chums strolled away in search of breakfast.

"Did I?" asked Tom, looking suddenly very, sober.

"There was a broad grin on your face?"

"Carter didn't see it, did he?"

"I don't know; but why, the grin, Tom?"

"I'll tell you after I see what answer I receive to a telegram that I've sent."

"Tom Reade, you always were provoking!"

"Now I'm doubly so, eh?"

"Oh, well, I don't care," muttered Harry. "I can wait; I'm not very nosey."

By noon General Manager Ellsworth arrived on the scene of the labors of the young engineers, out at the site of the big quicksand.

"You can run the work here this afternoon, Harry," Tom declared. "I shall want to put in my time with Mr. Ellsworth."

"Was he the answer to your telegram?"

Tom offered no further information, but hurried away to meet the general manager, who had come out to camp in an automobile hired at Paloma.

Manager and chief engineer now toured slowly toward town, Harry watching them as long as they were in sight.

"Tom has something big in the wind," muttered Hazelton. "It must be something about the hotel fire. What can it be? At any rate, I'll wager it's something that pleases my chum wonderfully."