Part 15 (1/2)

”There is a fire in the molding-room,” George shouted; ”run for the engines, someone, and break the gate open. Now come on, Bill.”

The two boys ran towards that part of the building where the flames had been seen, broke a window, and climbed in. There was an almost stifling smell of burning wood and at a door at the end of the planing-room they could see a light flame flickering through the cracks of the door leading into the molding-room, which was next to it.

”Quick, Bill, screw that leather pipe onto the hydrant. We must stop it from getting through here till the engines come.”

The hydrant communicated with the great tank at the top of the building, and as soon as the hose was screwed on and Bill stood with the nozzle directed towards the burning door, George turned the c.o.c.k and volumes of water flew out.

The first result seemed disastrous. The door was already nearly burned through, and, as the powerful jet flew against it, it seemed to crumble away and a ma.s.s of flame darted out from the molding-room. The joists and timbers supporting the floor above the planing-room would have caught at once, but the boys deluged them with water, as also the framework of the door, and then, throwing the stream of water into the blazing workshop, they kept down the flames near the door. The smoke was stifling.

”We shall be choked, George!” Bill gasped.

”Lie down, Bill. I have heard the air is always better near the ground.”

This they found to be the case, and they were still able to direct the jet of water. But three or four minutes had elapsed when the outer door of the planing-house was unlocked and Bob Grimstone and several other men rushed in, but were at once driven back by the smoke. George had recognized Grimstone's voice, and shouted:

”This way, Bob, the fire hasn't got through yet. Come and lend a hand, for it's gaining on us in spite of the water. You can breathe if you kneel down.”

Grimstone, with two or three of the men, crawled in and joined the boys.

”What! is it you, George? How on earth did you get here?” Bob exclaimed.

”We saw a light as we were pa.s.sing, and got in from behind. When we saw what it was we rang the alarm-bell, and then came on here to do what we could till help came.”

”You are good-plucked, you are,” Grimstone said admiringly; ”but I am afraid it's not much good.”

”You take the hose, Bob, and keep the rafters drenched there. Bill and I will crawl forward and clear the shavings out of the way if we can.

They have caught half a dozen times already.”

The two boys crawled forward, and although the heat was tremendous they managed to clear away the shavings for a considerable distance.

The smoke and heat were so great that they were obliged to crawl back into the outer air, where for a while they lay almost insensible.

There were crowds of men in the yard now, but most of them were round at the back, powerless to aid at present, and only watching the flames as they roared through the whole of the windows of the molding-room.

Men were hurrying past with buckets of water, and one of them, seeing the condition of the boys, dashed some over their heads and faces, and they presently staggered to their feet. It was now a quarter of an hour since they had first given the alarm, and they were just about to re-enter the planing-shop to rejoin Bill when they met him and his comrades coming out.

”All the water's gone,” he said; ”if the engines aint here in a minute or two it will be too late.”

But just at that moment there was a cheer outside, and immediately afterwards a fire-engine dashed through the gate. Grimstone ran up to the firemen as they leaped off.

”The great thing,” he said, ”is to prevent it spreading from that shop into this. We have been keeping it back till now, but the tank has just run dry.”

While the other firemen were fitting the hose to the fire-plug just outside the gates one of them made his way into the planing-room to ascertain the exact position of affairs.

”Quick, lads,” he said; ”there's no time to be lost; the fire is making its way through. Another five minutes and we should have been too late to save any of this block. Is there any communication through the upper floors?” he asked Grimstone.

”Yes, there is a door on each floor,”

”Have you got any empty sacks about the place?”

”Yes, there is a pile of them in there.”