husband. The senator was so stout that dressing in a hurry was no easy matter for him.

   When the boys got out in the garden they found the chauffeur and the gardener at work, trying to pull the burning brushwood away from the garage. The flames were crackling merrily and the sparks were flying in various directions.

   "I'm going in and get that big cannon cracker," said Roger to Phil, in a low voice, so that the others might not hear.

   "I'll go with you, Roger. Be careful, though, the sparks are flying all round that doorway."

   "I've shut everything!" bawled the chauffeur, as he saw Roger at the big sliding doors. "Better not open up, or the fire will get inside."

   "I've got to go in, Jake!" answered Roger. "I've got to get something out."

   "What?" asked Dave, who was close by.

   "Never mind, Dave. It's something that can't be left in there," and so speaking Roger slid open a door and hurried inside the garage. Phil came directly behind him.

   On the floor, in a corner, was a box with ordinary firecrackers in it—about two hundred packs in all. On top of this was a package in paper containing the big cannon cracker.

   "Lookout!"

   "It's on fire!"

   Thus yelled both boys as they saw that the flames from the brushwood had made their way into a corner of the garage, just where the firecrackers had been placed. For an instant they hesitated, then both leaped forward again and commenced to stamp out the fire.

   It had caught at a corner of the box containing the smaller firecrackers and was also at the paper containing the cannon cracker. This Phil caught up, knocking the fire away with his hand.

   "What are you after, anyway?" The question came from Dave, who had followed his chums into the building. Buster, Shadow, and Luke were outside, at the rear, helping to pull the brushwood away and stamp out the flames.

   "Firecrackers—a box full!" cried Roger. "We must get it out!"

   "A giant firecracker!" added Phil. "Big enough to blow down a house!" And he held up the package and then made a dive for the outer air, for the garage was now full of smoke.

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