“Only the beginning,” he murmured at last. “This calls for hustle. In the future I shall use different methods. If I see a suspicious character, the pink-eyed man or the man with hooked nose and limp, I shall have him arrested and look for a reason after. But maybe I won’t see them again.”
That night brought good fortune. As the clock struck twelve, Johnny was walking through the zoological garden and there, quite by chance, ran square into what was to prove to be one of the most spectacular fires of history.
“Fire! Fire! Fire!” came ringing out upon the night.
One sweep of the horizon, then a surprised exclamation escaped Johnny’s lips. “The Zoo is on fire!” He then made a dash for it.
Fortunately he was not far away; most opportune, too, was the fact that he knew a great deal about the Zoo. Endowed with a natural interest in all living creatures, especially those of strange lands, he had many times visited this particular place.
He knew at a glance just where the fire had its origin. The building was extremely long and low. Birds and beasts were arranged in order according to size. First the monkeys, then wolves, hyena and the like; then lions, tigers and all other large creatures. At the extreme west end were two large rooms inhabited by no living thing. One room was a sort of office used by the keeper and the other a store room for a great quantity of material of anthropological interest, mostly from the Arctic. This material, no longer upon display, lay heaped pile upon pile; garments, blankets, spears, harpoons—all dry as dust and food for flames. It was in this store room that the fire was already fiercely raging.
“Perhaps there is yet time,” Johnny panted as he came racing up.
“Time for what?” demanded a policeman who had arrived before him. “Where’s the fire department?”
“They’ll be here in a moment.” Johnny tried the office door. It was locked. With a spring he was away, then back, shoulder first, at the door with a blow that splintered a panel.
“Here, don’t do that!” shouted the policeman, springing forward.