Part 31 (2/2)
”You're right It's a fire, but it doesn't seeine is there; I can hear the bell”
Bert and the stenographer had taken a short cut to the Stockton ed from the woods, on that side of the house where Bert had picked up thefrom one of the s
”The fire is on the side of the house where the prisoner is!” cried Bert ”It's in that secret corridor!”
”Maybe you'll have a chance to rescue hiainedladder was procured, raised against the side of the house, and then, carrying the hose hi chief ascended toward the blaze
”Give e of the engine
From the nozzle came the white, frothy h which the flao in that hall!” shouted Much from the side door of the house to the foot of the ladder ”The fire doesn't a ot scared and sent in the alar”
”I'll do as I think best about putting the fire out,” replied Bert
”Don't you go in that corridor!” yelled Much
The che the blaze, and Bert could go a little farther up the ladder He continued on, coht opposite theThen he kneas the sae had been thrown He could look in now, and he saw that the fire cas and paper on the floor He directed the chemical streae of the blaze was out But Bert did not descend
He was peering into the dark corridor Would he get a sight of the prisoner held there? He tried to pierce the darkness Surely that was ato the
Bert looked down He caught one gliht fro at the ladder, as if to upset it, and precipitate the boy on it to the ground, thirty feet below
But in the saed leaht showed, and, to his surprise, Bert saw an oldtoward hi, his clothes were disheveled, and his hair and beard weretime
”Save me! Save me!” cried the ht the fireht,” replied Bert ”There is no danger The fire is all out”
”Yes, the fire is out There is no danger from that It is my rascally nephehom I fear Save me fro as about to happen
”Alfred Much to you, he'll lock ain He shoved me back in the rooh the door See !”
”Who are you?”
”Harris Stockton”
”What? The owner of this place?”
”Yes, my lad The owner of the Stocktonto force ether with all n soive him any more of my property He has kept me a prisoner hereThat old woman helped hiht escape, but I could not Then, last night, some people tried to break down the door, but he drove theht, when he left me for a while, I started this fire I knew it could not dome help Thank God, it has! You will not let hiuess not!” exclaimed Bert, as he cli hall that was part of the unfortunate man's prison ”He'll have to tackle the whole Lakeville fire department if he does You're safe now, Mr Stockton”
”Oh! I'ain!”