“I’d say it looks like a fire,” ventured Jack, after taking a good look.
“My idea to a fraction, boss!” snapped the deeply interested Perk.
“Seems like it might be breaking out through the roof of some sort of cabin, or ranch house,” further suggested Jack, himself now almost as excited as his running mate.
“You said it, boy!” declared Perk; “but somehow I don’t lamp anybody kickin’ around in a big fuss, ’cause o’ the shack bein’ ablaze; strikes me either nobody ain’t to home or else they’re so sound asleep they don’t know what’s goin’ on. Glory be! if that’s the case, partner, they stand a mighty good chance o’ bein’ burnt to death in their beds. What ought we do ’bout it, Jack?”
“First place we’ve just got to rouse ’em up, and the way to do that is to rush our engine to the limit, so’s to make a big row—if that doesn’t wake anybody it’ll only mean they’re away from home—or else already smothered by the smoke.” Perk accordingly started up such a racket that the dreadful roaring noise seemed hoarse enough to awaken the dead and all the while he kept swinging around in a continuous circle.
Jack, bending over the side, watched to see if this had any effect, nor was his discovery long delayed.
“That fetched them, Perk—I can see several moving figures, and they seem to be rushing about with pails in their hands. If the fire hasn’t got too strong a start they may be able to throw enough water to put it out.”
“Jack, couldn’t we do somethin’ more to help the poor dicks?” cried Perk, ever ready and willing to assist anybody in trouble, no matter at what cost or personal risk to himself.
“It mightn’t be a safe thing to attempt a blind landing,” he was told; but something in Jack’s voice or manner when he said this encouraged Perk to go a bit further.
“Why, chances are it’s as level as a barn floor down there,” he hastened to say, eagerly; “here, you could take the stick—there never was a better hand at makin’ a three-point landin’ than you, partner; me, I might drop a few flares down, an’ that’d give us a squint o’ the ground. If we kept to leeward o’ the fire there wouldn’t be any risk from sparks, don’t you see, Jack? I never yet had such a fat chance to be a fire-fighter; let’s go, boy—they need all the help they c’n get, I guess.”