"He started with me. He was going to the Crawfords' and—let's see—he turned and—" The boy stopped speaking. Fumbling the plank in his hand, he dropped it and then scooped it from the ground in a rush toward the door.
"Come on!" he shouted, attacking the barn in a wild burst of frenzy. "We've got to break in! We've got to! Specs is inside!"
Bunny caught him by the arm. "We can't break through here. It's solid. How do you know Specs is inside?"
The other Scout was quivering with excitement. "I know it. I looked through the stall window. There was a board loose in the floor, near the fire. I pointed it out to him. For a joke, I told him a thin fellow might crawl underneath the barn, pry it loose, and come up inside. And he's done it! We've got to get him out!"
The school bell still clanged at top speed. Far down the street, Bunny could see two men running. He fancied he could hear galloping hoofs and the rumble of the hose cart. But if Specs was wallowing in that smother of smoke, all this help would come too late. He pounded on the side of the barn with his futile fist.
"Specs! Specs!" he shouted.
Bi ground his fingers into his palms. "If he can only get to the door, he can open it, but—"
There was no answering sound from within.
Bonfire, who had disappeared, darted suddenly from one side of the barn.