His thoughts got no farther, for at that moment the dismal howling of a dog broke on his ears. The sounds seemed to come from a short distance ahead and from the other side of the fence and spoke of such fear and suffering that Dan caught his breath as he heard it. He raced forward down the path, and as he ran he caught the pungent odor of burning wood. Then between the rustic palings of the fence he saw a strange scene. Back from the fence a yard or two stood a small play-house, fifteen feet long by ten wide, with slab sides and shingled roof. It stood quite by itself amidst the shrubbery, its back to the fence. There was a window on the side nearest to Dan and another on the back, and from both of them, closed though they were, grayish-brown smoke crept out. At the corner of the little building stood a slim boy of apparently fourteen years. He had on a red flannel shirt and a red helmet such as firemen wear, and in his hands he held an axe. Beside him was a two-wheeled vehicle carrying a coil of hose and two fire-extinguishers. As Dan stopped and stared bewilderedly the boy lifted the axe as though to feel its weight, sniffed the smoke with evident relish and lifted his voice above the terrified howling of the dog which Dan could not see but which he surmised to be inside the house.
“Courage, Jack!” called the boy loudly. “I am coming to your rescue!”
But he seemed in no hurry about it, for instead of opening the door to release the dog he merely ran to the side window and peered in, drawing back coughing and laughing.
“Keep your nose to the floor, Jack,” he shouted, “and whatever you do don’t jump!”
At another time Dan might have found the instructions amusing, but now he was boiling with indignation.
“What are you doing over there?” he cried.
The boy turned in surprise and finally glimpsed him through the fence.
“Hello,” he answered smilingly. “I’m having a fire. I’m going to put it out in a minute. Want to help?”
“Isn’t there a dog in there?” asked Dan impatiently. The boy nodded his head.
“Yes, Jack’s in there. I’m playing that he’s a person, you know, and I’m going to rescue him from the flames.”