ned?

The smoke was so thick that even the moist handkerchief was of no avail.
Bruce began to strangle. Then suddenly he remembered the instructions in
his Handbook. The air was purest near the floor!

He dropped to his hands and knees, and with his face to the boards he
began to crawl about, blindly groping for the body of the old bookkeeper.
His fingers clutched something. He drew the object toward him and
peered at it through the smoke. It was Uriah Watkins doubled in a ball,
though unconscious and almost suffocated, the faithful old man still
clasped his precious ledgers.

Bruce knew that unless the man reached the open air immediately he would
perish. Also he knew that if they were not both clear of the building in
a few minutes they would be food for the flames which were even then
thrusting spiteful tongues under the door at the other end of the room.

Here again the instructions of the Handbook stood the scout in good
stead. He knew that it would be next to suicide to stand up and try to
carry the prostrated form to the window. The smoke was so thick even
down there near the floor that he was gasping and choking.

He twisted his hand into the old man's collar and began to crawl, face to
the floor, back toward the gray space that marked the window through the
smoke, hauling Uriah after him. Foot by foot he dragged his burden. In
spite of the handkerchief the smoke was getting into his lungs. His
chest pained him dreadfully. Oh, what wouldn't he give for a single breath
of pure, fresh air! The eight or ten feet to the side wall seemed like
eight or ten miles. Would he never reach there!

Finally his hand struck the wall and he stood erect. The draught caused
by the open window was drawing thick smoke out of the building into the
air. Bruce knew he could not stand in that current of gases long.
Pulling Uriah Watkins forward, he raised the limp form and forced it
through the window ahead of him. Willing hands seized the old bookkeeper
and lifted him to safety.

Then, dizzy and sick, Bruce clutched at the ledge and scrambled up. But
a dreadful nausea seized him as he knelt on the window sill. His head
whirled. He lost his balance. He knew he was falling backward into the
burning building, but he was powerless to save himself. He gave a
stifled cry of terror, and in answer the loud voice of Chief Blaney
boomed in his ear and strong arms encircled his waist. Then everything
grew black.

T