"We'll set it off back of the kitchen," answered Roger. "It won't do any harm there."

   On the night of the third the boys retired somewhat early, so as to be up bright and early for the glorious Fourth.

   They had been sleeping less than an hour when a sudden cry awakened them.

   "Fire! Fire! Get up, boys! The garage is on fire, and I am afraid the gasoline tank will blow up!"

   "What's that!"

   "The garage on fire!"

   "Say, look at the blaze!"

   Such were some of the cries, as the boys tumbled out of bed, one after another. A bright glare of fire was dancing over the walls of the rooms.

   "It's some brushwood behind the garage!" announced Dave, as he poked his head out of a window to look. "It's that big heap the gardener put there yesterday."

   "He shouldn't have placed it so close," said Luke. "Why didn't he rake it to some spot in the open?"

   All of the boys were hurrying into their clothing as fast as possible. The alarm had been given by Senator Morr, and by the chauffeur, who slept in a room of the barn next to the garage.

   "Oh, Roger!" gasped Phil. "That big cannon cracker!"

   "I was thinking of it, Phil!" returned the senator's son, hurriedly. "We must get it out somehow!"

   "If it goes off it will wreck the building!"

   "Yes, and the gasoline tank with it!"

   The tank in question was not underground, as would have been safer, but was located in a bricked-up place at one side of the garage. In the storehouse were two barrels of gasoline, and also some lubricating oils. If that storehouse caught, it would certainly make a hot and dangerous blaze.

   Pell-mell down the stairs rushed the youths, one after another. In the meantime Senator Morr was dressing and so were the others of the household.

   "Be careful, boys! Don't go too close!" warned Mrs. Morr.

   "Watch out for an explosion!" puffed her 

 Prev. P 43/167 next