“Say, I don’t believe that boiler’s going to blow up,” announced Jack. “If it was going to, it would have done so long ago. I’m going to take a look.”
“No, no,” begged Socker. “You’ll all risk your life!”
“Don’t be rash, Ranger,” cautioned Dr. Mead.
“I think Socker exaggerated the danger,” replied our hero. “I’m going to take a look.”
He ran back to the engine-room and looked in. He could see the boiler plainly, as the place was brightly illuminated by the flames. His eyes sought the steam gage.
“Why!” he cried. “There are only twenty pounds of steam on! Socker took it for two hundred. There’s no danger. That’s a low pressure.”
Then he raised his voice in a shout:
“Come on, fellows! Help put out the fire! There’s no danger! The boiler’s all right!”
There was an immediate rush. Jack still held his extinguisher, and Nat Anderson had secured one. Several other students, hearing Jack’s reassuring news, rushed into the school, and came back with pieces of hand apparatus.
“Now to douse the fire!” yelled Jack, again turning on the chemical stream.