He struck Dick in the face, although the force of the blow was partly broken by an upthrust arm. This aroused young Merriwell and made him furious as a wild creature. With a shout, he broke the fellow’s hold upon him, seized the chap, snapped his heels into the air, and whirled him headlong against the stone wall. The crimson figure dropped limply to the cemented floor and lay still.
“Fellows, fellows!” shouted Dick, realizing that a great many of the boys were taking to their heels and getting out as quickly as possible. “Don’t run away. We must smother this fire. We must put it out somehow.”
It was Buckhart who joined him, and they did their best to put out the flames.
“No use, partner,” said the Texan, “she’s got too much headway. She’s bound to go. If we stay here, we’ll be caught, and that will be mighty bad business for us.”
“Come on, Dick—come on!” cried Bouncer Bigelow, making frantic gestures. “Everybody else has skipped. I’m going. You can’t do anything. Let her burn.”
The fat boy ended with a choking, strangling cough, for the place was rapidly filling with a thick volume of pungent smoke. Brad seized Dick by the collar and literally dragged him toward the door. Not until they were in the outer air did Dick remember the crimson-clad fellow he had last seen lying stunned at the foot of the basement wall.
“Follow me!” said Buckhart. “We must get away lively.”
He took to his heels, covering the ground with rapid strides and plunging into the darkness between two buildings. Instead of following his friend, Dick turned and rushed down the rotten basement stairs. A volume of smoke met him, rolling forth from the door and veiling the interior of the place. Through this smoke the fire sent a dull lurid glow.
Stooping low, Dick plunged into the smoke. He ran full against a huge box, but managed to grope his way along until he could see the spreading flames and feel their scorching heat. Through the yellowish light he saw something moving. In a twinkling he had the fellow by the shoulder. It was his crimson-clothed antagonist, who had partly recovered and was blindly trying to find the way out.
“This way!” wheezed Dick, pulling the bewildered chap toward the door. “Hang onto me!”