Ten seconds later all of them were on the spot where already a little cluster of men and boys were gathered, some of them near neighbors, others having come up ahead of the scouts.
“Hey! what’s this I see?” Bobolink said to his chum nearest him; “two of the Lawson crowd here, dodging about and grinning as if they thought it a picnic?”
“Look at old Briggs, will you?” cried Sandy Griggs. “He’s dancing around like a chicken after you’ve chopped its head off.”
“Did you ever see anybody so excited?” demanded 70 Bobolink. “Hold on! what’s that he’s saying now about somebody setting his store afire on purpose?”
“It’s a black scheme to get me out of competition!” the little, old storekeeper was crying as he wrung his hands wildly. “Somebody must have known that my insurance ran out three weeks ago, and for once I neglected to renew it! I shall be ruined if it all goes! Why don’t some of you try to save my property?”
“Boys, it seems that it’s up to us to get busy and do something!” exclaimed Frank Savage, immediately.
“It comes hard to work for the old skinflint,” declared Bobolink, “but I s’pose we’re bound to forget everything but that some one’s stuff is in danger, and that we belong to the scouts!”
“Come on then, everybody, and let’s sling things around!” cried Jud Elderkin.
No matter how the fire started it was burning fiercely, and promised to give the volunteer firemen a good fight when they arrived, as they were likely to do at any moment now. Indeed, loud cries not far away, accompanied by the rush of many heavily booted feet and the trampling of horses’ hoofs announced that the engine, hook and ladder, and chemical companies were close at hand. 71
The nine scouts dashed straight at the store front. The door stood conveniently open, though they could only hazard a guess as to how it came so—possibly when brought to the spot with the first alarm of fire the owner had used his key to gain an entrance.