awled the captain. "Warn't nowhere else."

The automobile roared down toward the burning canalboat. The crowd from
the circus field lined up along the other bank; but the towpath was
deserted where the _Nancy Hanks_ lay. The flames were rapidly destroying
the boat amidships.

CHAPTER XVII

SCALAWAG GETS A NEW HOME

A dog barking aroused Sammy. He must, after all, have fallen into a
light doze. With Dot sleeping contentedly on the bag of potatoes and his
coat, and the only nearby sounds the rustling noise that he had finally
become scornful of, the boy could not be greatly blamed for losing
himself in sleep.

But he thought the dog barking must be either his Buster or old Tom
Jonah, the Corner House girls' dog. Were they coming to search for him
and Dot?

"Oh, wake up, Dot! Wake up!" cried Sammy, shaking the little girl.
"There's something doing."

"I wish you wouldn't, Tess," complained the smallest Corner House girl.
"I don't want to get up so early. I--I've just come asleep," and she
would have settled her cheek again into Sammy's jacket had the boy not
shaken her.

"Oh, Dot! Wake up!" urged the boy, now desperately frightened.
"There's--there's smoke."

"Oo-ee!" gasped Dot, sitting up. "What's happened? Is the chimney
leaking?"

"There's something afire. Hear that pounding! And the dog!"

It was the desperate kicking of the mules, John and Jerry, they heard.
And the kicking and the barking of Beauty, the hound, continued until
the Corner House automobile, with the bucket brigade aboard, roared down
to the canalboat and stopped.

The fire was under great headway, and every person in the party helped
to quench it. The girls, as well as the men and boys, rushed to the
work. To see the old boat burn when it was the whole living of the
Quiggs, gained the sympathy of all.

Neale leaped right down into the water and filled buckets and handed
them up as fast as possible. Luke and the girls carried the full pails
and either threw the contents on the flames or set the pails down for
Mr. Sorber to handle.

The ringmaster was in his element, for he loved to direct. His shouted
commands would have made an impression upon an organized fire
department. And he let it be known, in true showman's style, that the
Twomley & Sorber's Herculean Circus and Menagerie was doing all in its
power to put out the fire.

Cap'n Bill Quigg and Louise ran to loosen the mules. It was a wonder the
canalboat girl was not k