o his face.

"Rush 'em!" shouted the fellow frantically.

Half-a-dozen of his cohorts sprang up the steps. They managed to grab
Ralph's feet. Now it was a pull and a clutch. Ralph realized that if
he ever got down into the midst of that surging mob, or under their
feet, it would be all over with him.

"It's all up with us!" gasped Clark with a startled stare down the
alley. "Fogg, Lemuel Fogg!"

The heart of the young engineer sank somewhat as he followed the
direction of his companion's glance. Sure enough, the fireman of
No. 999 had put in an appearance on the scene.

"He's coming like a cyclone!" said Clark.

Fogg was a rushing whirlwind of motion. He was bareheaded, and he
looked wild and uncanny. Somewhere he had picked up a long round
clothes pole or the handle to some street worker's outfit. With this
he was making direct for the crowd surrounding Ralph and Clark. Just
then a slungshot blow drove the latter to his knees. Two of the crowd
tried to kick at his face. Ralph was nerved up to desperate action
now. He caught the uplifted foot of one of the vandals and sent him
toppling. The other he knocked flat with his fist, but overpowering
numbers massed for a headlong rush on the beleaguered refugees.

"Swish--thud! swish!" Half blinded by a blow dealt between the eyes by
a hurling slungshot, the young engineer could discern a break in the
program, the appearance of a new element that startled and astonished
him. He had expected to see the furious Fogg join the mob and aid them
in finishing up their dastardly work. Instead, like some madman, Fogg
had waded into the ranks of the group, swinging his formidable weapon
like a flail. It rose, it fell, it swayed from side to side, and its
execution was terrific.

The fireman mowed down the amazed and scattering forces of Billy
Bouncer as if they were rows of tenpins. He knocked them flat, and
then he kicked them. It was a marvel that he did not cripple some of
them, for, his eyes glaring, his muscles bulging to the work, he acted
like some fairly irresponsible being.

Within two minutes' time the last one of the mob had vanished into the
street. Flinging the pole away from him, Fogg began looking for his
cap, which had blown off his head as he came rushing down the alley at
cyclone speed.

Clark stared at the fireman in petrified wonder. Ralph stood
overwhelmed with uncertainty and amazement.

"Mr. Fogg, I say, Mr. Fogg!" he cried, running after the fireman