Investigation proved the plan feasible. The ground was fourteen feet or so below them, but there was a shed of some sort, on to which roof they could readily pass from the window of the second-story hall.
Ralph led the way, because he belonged to Wyoming, and really the pilot of the party, chauffeur and all that. After him came Rob, while the other three followed in turn, Tubby, as usual, bringing up the rear with credit, and a super-abundance of material.
“Careful you don’t slip and slide off this shed roof,” advised Ralph as he cautiously moved along, intending to hang from the lower end and drop to the ground.
Tubby came near having trouble when his feet slipped; but Andy managed to catch hold of the one in danger, and steadied him until he could get another footing. Then one by one they lowered themselves and dropped. Even Tubby succeeded in making a safe retreat from the building. People were still emerging by twos and threes from the exit of the hall as they hurried past. Evidently they might have been kept shut up there for half an hour, losing much worth seeing, had they been content to accept things as they came, and never trying to escape by way of that window.
“Which way now?” bellowed Andy.
“Leave that to Ralph; he knows how the land lies!” Rob suggested.
“Yes, follow me, everybody!” the party indicated called over his shoulder.
Away they hastened along the street, where people were already hurrying in squads and singly, all heading in a certain direction as though word had been passed along the line concerning the location of the fire.
“You see, it’s in the poorer section of the town,” Ralph was telling Rob, as they ran along side by side. “There goes another fire engine; and I suppose the chemical crowd have already started work on the fire, because they can get going so much faster than the others. Listen to the shouting, will you? That sounds as if Wyoming had been waked up, I guess.”
Rob was already alarmed, and with reason. He could see from the glare in the heavens that the fire was dead ahead of them; indeed, several times they had glimpsed flames shooting madly upwards. Rob remembered that they were facing the wind almost head on, which would mean that the conflagration must be swept on its breath directly toward the mill and factory part of the town.