Part 15 (1/2)

”If we c'n only hold out long enough, we're just bound to knock this old fire into a c.o.c.ked hat!” Ty managed to cry out, as he seized another bucket, and turned to look for a chance to use it.

Just then he noticed a small girl standing near by, sobbing as if her heart would break. She seemed to be looking up toward the second story windows of the house that was on fire, as though there might be something that she longed to save up there.

Ty was immediately thrilled with the thought that it might be a human being. n.o.body had as yet said anything about a missing person, whether a child, a very old man, or a woman; but this might come from the fact that such tremendous excitement held everybody in its grip.

Ty had read about daring feats which lads no older than himself had performed at such critical times. Perhaps within his soul there burned a desire to outs.h.i.+ne these heroes of fact and fiction; and do something to make the name of Tyrus Collins go ringing down the ages, on the annals of heroes who have risked their lives in order to save others.

At any rate, as soon as he had emptied the bucket he was holding, he pa.s.sed it along to the nearest woman, and then whirled upon the little girl.

”What's the matter with you?” he asked.

She turned to him eagerly.

”Oh, he'll be burned, my little baby, Bennie!” she wailed, wringing her hands as if in the greatest woe.

Ty was thrilled by the words. Here then was the golden opportunity he had long sought. A baby, she had said, forgotten in the mad rush and excitement. And to him had come the chance to show of what metal scouts were made.

”Where is he--show me the window of the room!” he demanded in such a stern tone that the child shrank back; but she managed to point upward and say:

”That window--it's the little room over the front hall! Oh, if you could only bring him out, mister; everybody's too busy to remember poor little Bennie!”

That finished Ty. He heard the call to duty and was off. Still, he kept his wits about him fairly well, and did not plunge recklessly into the building.

His first act was to take another look upward, so that he might locate the window she had mentioned, and remember which it was when groping about the interior. Elmer was close by; but although he turned toward the patrol leader at first, Ty changed his mind, fearing that he might be interfered with in his bold designs.

No, if a rescue must be made, he would go it alone; and hence all the glory that was coming would be his.

”Here, take that full bucket and follow me, Ty!” called Elmer, who saw a chance to deluge a threatened point in such a way that the fire would be fully beaten back in that quarter.

He supposed the other was carrying out his suggestion, and did not know any different until on turning he found himself face to face with Landy, who had quickly taken the place of the one called upon.

”Where's Ty?” asked Elmer, as upon looking around he failed to discover the figure of his late a.s.sistant.

”He's gone in!” declared Landy, seeming to be a little appalled by something he had witnessed.

”Gone in where?” continued the other, hardly understanding what was meant.

”He rushed right into the house like he'd lost his senses, Elmer; whatever do you think made him act like that?” Landy replied.

The patrol leader looked aghast.

”I'm sure I don't know,” he replied, ”unless he heard that some one was in there, and might be smothered or burned. But it was a nervy thing for Ty to do. I only hope he comes out again all right!”

CHAPTER XII.

SHOWING THEIR METTLE.

”OH, thay, can't we do anything to thave him?”