Just as he called up to them the mischievous youngster tripped slightly. Throwing out his right hand to save himself the boy accidentally touched the bottom of the load at one side with the lighted match.
At this fateful instant it was out of the question to think of putting out the flame that leaped from wisp to wisp of the dried grass.
"Jump!" shouted the young match-burner, but the children above did not hear, or else did not realize their plight.
"Fire! Fire!" screamed the little incendiary, as he ran panic-stricken toward the farm house.
And now Dick was racing as he had never done before, even over the football gridiron. On his speed depended the lives of the two children.
CHAPTER II
THE DEED OF A HERO
At the moment of Dick's leap from the car, Sub-master Luce did not know what had happened. He realized in an instant what was the matter, and made frantic efforts to reach the scene at the same moment with Prescott.
Dick, however, kept the lead.
As the flames shot up through the hay the children on top of the hay began to gather a sense of their awful danger.