Swish! The first rush of water came, stopped, and then a full stream came pumping through the nozzle. Straight into the elevator shaft it went. The flames leaped up in defiance, and the water struck again.
“We’ve got it now!” came from one of the firemen in a muffled voice. “It may break through one of the other floors, but it can’t do any more harm in this shaft.”
Seeing that the fire through the shaft was now held in check, or would be in a few minutes more, as black smoke commenced rolling up, Frank went over the side and started down. Lanky was immediately behind him, having first asked the firemen if four of them could handle the nozzle.
“Gee, I hope it hasn’t gotten through any of those floor doors,” remarked Frank, as they reached the top floor of the lodge building and walked down the stairs.
“I don’t suppose it has, but even if it has they can hold it now, because the fellows on top will stop it from going up the flue,” remarked Lanky.
Down at the street level once more, they turned to where the fire had been raging. Sparks were no longer flying as freely as they had, and the sky was not so well lighted by the flames.
Crash! Crash! A sound as of a floor falling.
Just at this moment the fire chief came running toward Frank.
“Mr. Allen’s down in the basement! He went in there a minute ago!”
“Is father in there?” blurted Frank Allen dazedly.