CHAPTER IV. Fire and Its Result.
"Get the big car out as quick as you can, Harry!" suggested Jack. "Ned, help me wash up this young Wolf, and we'll put him to bed and then hurry out there. Things are moving pretty fast today!"
Despite a weakness in his knees, Jimmie was already on his feet. With a protesting hand raised to decline assistance, he made unsteadily for the wash room. He would not admit defeat.
"No, you don't!" he announced. "You don't put me to bed while you fellows go out and have a lot of fun. I'm going with you!"
"But you are in a horribly messed-up state! What happened?"
"Get out that new uniform from my locker," Jimmie urged, "and I'll wash up a bit, and be on hand in a jiffy. I'm all right!"
After a questioning glance at Ned, which was answered with a nod, Jack dashed for the locker and produced a clean uniform. Willingly the two lads assisted Jimmie to remove as much as possible the marks of his recent encounter. Quickly divesting himself of his soiled and blood-stained garments, the lad slipped into his new uniform and dashed down the stairs, fastening buttons as he went. Behind him clattered Jack and Ned, followed by the attorney.
"I'm going, too, if you have room for me," stated Mr. Nobles.
"Hop in," invited Jimmie, "but you'll have to hang onto your teeth, for Harry gets absent-minded sometimes, and drives as if there were no speed ordinances. He likes to burn up tires!"
Not a second was lost by the party in stowing themselves into the big car, which Harry at once headed for the east side. Across the Williamsburg bridge he began to demonstrate the value of Jimmie's advice. The lad dashed under the noses of teams, in front of trolley cars, and through traffic generally in a way that threatened collision a dozen times. However, he was completely master of the car and by his daring and skill avoided accident.
During the time that the congestion of traffic required a moderate pace, Jimmie enlightened Mr. Nobles with stories of Harry's ability and skill as a driver of automobiles in dangerous places.
"Why, one time when we were out west," he related, "we saw a cyclone coming. We knew that if it ever caught us we would be surely goners, so Harry just got us into the car and started ahead of it. He went so fast that we couldn't see anything at all of the landscape. A man with us thought he'd look ahead, but there were so many chickens and things caught on the wind shield he couldn't see, so he put up his head once to look over. Do you know, we were going so fast the wind actually blew that fellow's teeth right down his throat when he opened his mouth to tell us there was a big canyon right ahead?"
In spite of the nervous tension under which the boys were laboring, they joined in the laugh which the attorney started.
"Where was this, Jimmie, and what car did you use?"
"Up in Montana," gravely answered Jimmie, the while his eyes twinkled. "The car was that same little old 'Scout' we had when we found the 'Hidden Dynamo' that those train robbers used. It was near Kicking Horse Canyon in the Crazy mountains. Some ride!"
"You'll do, all right, Jimmie!" laughingly remarked Mr. Nobles. "For speed, you certainly have made a record!"
"Hang on!" warned Harry over his shoulder. "We're going to get out of town, as that freight conductor used to say."
For a few miles conversation was impossible. Harry's expert manipulations of the big car produced a burst of speed that would have been positively dangerous in less skillful hands. The boys took great pride in keeping every piece of machinery used by them in perfect order at all times, in preparation for an emergency such as the present, and, therefore, felt no less confidence in the machine than they did in its driver. To the attorney, however, the ride was anything but pleasant, and he was glad when Harry abruptly slackened pace.
At once the reason for this sudden change in speed was apparent. A burly constable with raised hand blocked the path.
"What's the charge, officer?" demanded Harry.
"Speedin'," was the laconic response, grimly delivered.
"Where's your station house?"
"About half a mile ahead," was the reply. "I'll ride."
"Climb in!" heartily invited Harry. "Get into the back seat, there," he added, with a wink at his chums. "Hurry up!"
Scarcely had the officer seated himself when Harry again started the car, urging it to a high speed in spite of the protests from their guest, who was wedged fast between the other occupants.
"We're goin' to a fire!" announced Jimmie impatiently. "If you'll just quit that noise you're makin' we'll give you a fast ride, and then bring you back to the station house right side up with care!"
Regardless of vigorous threats from the unwilling captive, Harry maintained a rapid pace, and was soon out of the village, and in sight of the hangar which the boys had left earlier in the day.
Scarcely had the car stopped before a gate leading into the enclosure surrounding the hangar ere the boys leaped to the ground. Ned already had his key in hand, so that no time was lost in gaining an entrance. Dashing toward the hangar the boys were surprised to observe a group of lads of about their own age standing about the watchman, who was inspecting a partly burned side of the building. At once these boys were recognized as members of the gang which had been encountered by the three motorcyclists earlier in the day.
Ned paused a moment, swung his hand to his hip pocket, where he carried an automatic pistol, and then advanced toward the crowd.
"What does this mean?" he inquired brusquely of the watchman, who stood nervously wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Why, Mr. Nestor," replied that individual, "I was sitting in the little office there by the gate not thinking of any danger when I happened to look out of the window and saw smoke coming up from behind the hangar there. I telephoned to the club rooms right away and then came out here with the fire extinguisher.
"Just as I came around the corner I saw a man squeeze through the fence there where some boards are pried off and then I went at the fire. I guess it would have got the best of me even then if it hadn't been for these young men who came through the same hole in the fence and helped by throwing dirt on the blaze. They saved the hangar and the Grey Eagle, too, Mr. Nestor. They have done bravely!"
Releasing his grasp on the automatic Ned stepped forward with hand outstretched to the foremost member of the group. The leader, with badly bruised lips and a blackened eye, confusedly extended his hand to grasp Ned's proffered palm. Ned's shake was a hearty one.
"I want to thank you on behalf of the Boy Scouts," he began. "You have given us valuable service and we will not be apt to forget it. My name's Nestor. I want you to meet my friends," he added, turning toward his chums, who had followed him closely.
"We met them earlier in the day," smiled the lad. "In fact, we met the little fellow twice. I remember the second meeting well! He handed me this and this," indicating his injured eye and lips. "He surely is some scrapper, all right, and we're glad to get acquainted!"
"Pete thinks so, too!" announced another member of the group.
With a sheepish grin the boy called Pete now stepped forward, extending his hand first to Ned and then to Jimmie.
"I'm obliged to you," he stated, addressing Jimmie. "I guess it was just that trimmin' I needed. We've been talkin' things over since you left us and we've decided we'd like to join the Boy Scouts if you'll have us. You look pretty good to all of us!"
"Hurray!" shouted Jimmie through his own bruised lips. "Ned, here's a chance to form a new Patrol. What do you say?"
"We'll talk it over," Ned answered. "It means a great deal."
"Well, your fire is out and if you've got a hammer and some nails we'll fix the fence for you and then we might as well go home," volunteered one of the boys. "We can't do any more here. But you mustn't forget to let us know about our joining the Scouts."
Having followed more slowly, the constable now approached the boys.
"Well," he growled, "if you fellows are ready, you might come along back with me and visit the station. But I warn you, no more speedin'!" Then examining the group more closely he cried:
"Hello, Pete, what you doin' here? You git home!"
"Hello, Dad!" replied Pete. "I'm ready to go now."
"How'd you get here, anyhow?" inquired the constable, who proved to be none other than the father of the lad known as Pete.
Explanations of the day's adventures so far as Pete was concerned were given, wherein Jimmie and his chums received full credit from the now friendly Pete and his comrades. They dwelt at some length on Jimmie's courage and ability as well as his spirit of fairness.
"Well, all I've got to say," decided the constable at the conclusion of the tale, "is that I rode with you fellers and I didn't see no speedin'! If you'll give me a ride back to town, I'll be much obliged. Anybody that can lick that boy of mine can't get arrested for speedin' in this town while I'm constable!"
"Thank you," replied Ned. "We won't exceed the limit in your town unless we know it is necessary. Just now, I'm great puzzled about the identity of the fire-bug and his reason for burning the hangar."
"Maybe it's some anarchist who's sore because he hasn't got an airship of his own," ventured Jack. "Some folks play 'dog in the manger,' especially if they're down on their luck a little!"
"My dream book," interrupted Jimmie, "says to look out for a tall, short, dark complexioned man who is smooth-shaven and wears pink whiskers and light hair. He is in some way connected with the Panama Canal and hates water! Perhaps he's trying to stop something!"
"A most accurate description of the very fellow!" laughed Jack. "I think I saw him in my dreams last night!"
Ned glanced quickly towards Jimmie. Often in the past he had discovered that Jimmie's insight and powers of jumping at conclusions had been the means of leading the boys out of puzzling situations and now assumed that the boy's jocular manner was simply a cloak for more serious thoughts. Using the deaf and dumb language, he signalled:
"Come to one side. I want to talk to you."
Walking slightly apart from the group now proceeding toward the gate where the big automobile had been left he asked in a low tone:
"What do you know, Jimmie? Did you see anything?"
"Not a thing!" declared his fellow Wolf. "I just happened to have a stray thought go through my head. That's all!"
"That's funny! I was sure you had discovered a clue!"
"No. It just seemed to me to be the only natural conclusion to be reached. Here we are getting ready for a trip in the Grey Eagle. Also you just come in with a story about this traitor who has stolen the plans of the Panama defences. Then the hangar is set afire. Why shouldn't it be the work of—well, some interested party?"
"That's as good a solution as any other we now have," decided Ned, dropping the subject on approaching the gate. "Let's get back to town. I have some important matters to discuss with the boys."
After instructing the watchman in regard to repairs on the fence and the hangar, Ned talked a few moments with the group of boys who had expressed a desire to become Boy Scouts. Then entering the machine he gave the word to return to the Black Bear Club Rooms.
The return journey was completed without incident. Mr. Nobles declared that he would attend the conference to be held and would then proceed to other work of importance requiring his attention.
Entering the rooms the boys found this message:
"Call Mr. Bosworth on the phone at once. He has important news!"