“Don’t mind him!” advised Jerry. “We know what we’re about!”
And he and his chums ran on, unheeding.
As they reached the doors on the shore side of the structure another fireman, hurrying up with an axe called to them:
“What are you doing here? Get back! You’re not allowed here!”
“We’re going to get out our boat,” said Jerry sharply. “It won’t take a minute to run it out of the boathouse now, and we don’t want to stand by and see it burn.”
“That’s right,” the fireman agreed. “I’ll help you. No use standing on ceremony.”
He gave a glance at the doors. They were locked and there was no time to look for the key.
“Stand aside!” the fighter of the flames called. The boys drew back, and, with a few blows of his axe, the man shattered the fastening of the door.
“There you go!” he cried, as Jerry, Ned and Bob rushed into the structure. The flames without, shining in through the shattered door, made it light enough to see. Their boat, as yet, was unharmed, but already the flames were eating through the thin side of the boathouse which had first caught.