her's nerves. Fires were not so frequent an occurrence in the history
of a small city like Chester that a prospective conflagration could be
treated lightly.

Once out of the house and they had no difficulty about deciding in which
direction the fire lay. Some people, principally boys, were already
running full-tilt through the street, and all seemed to be heading in
the one direction. At the same time all manner of comments could be
heard passing between them as they galloped along, fairly panting.

"It must be the big mill, from the light that's beginning to show up in
the sky!" hazarded one boy.

"Shucks! what are you giving us, Sandy!" gasped another. "The mill ain't
over in that direction at all. Only cottages lie there, with an
occasional haystack belongin' to some garden-truck raiser. Mebbe it
might be a barn."

"Just what it is, Tim," a third boy chimed in eagerly. "Hay burns like
wildfire you know, and see how red the sky is agettin' now."

Neither Jack nor Toby had thus far ventured to make any sort of guess.
No matter what was afire it promised to be a serious affair, with the
wind blowing at the rate of twenty miles an hour or more. If it turned
out to be a private house some one was likely to be rendered homeless
before long.

The bell continued to clang harshly. Chester still clung to the
volunteer system of firemen, though there was some talk of purchasing an
up-to-date motor truck engine, and hiring a force to be on duty day and
night.

"Jack," suddenly called out Toby, "don't you see that we're heading
straight for Fred's house. Honest to goodness I believe it's that very
cottage afire right now."

CHAPTER XV

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FIRE

"Hello there, fellows, you're on the job, too, I see!"

That was burly Steve Mullane calling out as he came tearing along in the
wake of Jack and Toby. Steve was passionately fond of anything in the
line of a fire. He had been known to chase for miles out into the
country on learning that some farmer's haystacks and barn were ablaze;
though he usually arrived far too late to see anything but the ruins.

"What do you think, Steve," gurgled Toby, "I was just saying I thought
it might be Fred Baxter's place."

"Seems like it was around that section of territory anyhow," replied the
other, as well as he was able to speak, while exerting himself to the
utmost.

Jack made no immediate comment, but he himself was beginning to believe
Toby's guess migh