The New Boy at Hilltop

of his lungs. Then, stumbling over the chairs, he groped his way to the hall door and opened it. The corridor was already filled with excitement and confusion. Of the

g a steamer trunk after him. Instantly the scantily clad youths dashed into th

he fire?"

Get something on; I'm going to. Has anyone given the al

thing's on fire upstairs! You

he alarm," said Kenneth.

and thumped at the instructor's door. There was no answer and K

" he cried. "

d back to his own room and found Joe throwing their belongings out of the windows. At that moment the bell on School H

corridor. All up and down it boys were staggering along with trunks and bags, while from the western end the smoke was volleying forth from Number 1

ridor drove them back and the stream from the extinguisher wasted itself against the fast yellowing plaster of the wall. The building was rapidly becoming uninhabitable and, calling Joe from the stu

, and the half dozen adventurous spirits remaining

began?" asked Joe

in bed with a lamp he has, and he went to slee

tered some one. Kenneth

Hyde bes

" said

Grafton. "Did yo

o," Kenneth rep

were forgotten, wiped out o

to get my trunk down but the smoke was fierce and the

d gaunt in a red flowered dressing gown, and several of th

ow! The firemen will be here in a minute and you'll only

h. "What's the matte

was crouched in a dim corner of the hall, sobb

p?" asked

rying like a good one. What's the

arently didn't

sted Grafton, "and feels it. Never

the doctor. But his voice was almost drowned

th, trying to raise him to hi

impse of the boy's face. It was w

m. Young Hendrick's lips moved but Kenneth

w! Don't be scared! What is it?" And Kenneth bent h

er Wh

caught the wh

e lad's body around so that he could see his face in the smok

e shook from

d Grafton. "Whipple? Isn

must

e stairs down which the gray-brown smoke was floating wraithlike. Th

id Grafton hoarsely. "He must have seen some

that shook him from head to foot. Kenneth seized him beneath the shoul

hispered kindly. "It's al

h the doors the boys were pushing their wa

. One other instant Kenneth hesitated. Then w

e?" cried the doctor. "He

him, blinding his eyes and smarting his throat. Above him was a strange lurid glare and the roaring of the flames. Fo

," cried Grafton. "We

y," was t

d against the last step and squinted painfully down the corridor in the direction of Mr. Whipple's room and the flames. The

" he muttered. "The

and playing over the lathes from which the plaster was crumbling away. Kenneth's heart sank and for an instant he thought he was going to faint. Eve

e can! We'll be burned alive in a minute!" There was pan

away and the flames glared luridly through the corridor, making everything for a

ing Grafton's arm. "On

ton. "It's Mr. Whip

as the calm reply. "W

acrid smoke. The flames crackled and roared in their ears. The strained, terror-st

," he sa

r arising from the well and, although it smarted in his lungs, it gave him relief. Grafton followed his example. Then, for they

he thirty feet from the stairs to where he lay seemed as many yards to the rescuers, and the heat grew fiercer at every step. But they gained the goal, fighting for breath, bending their heads against the savage onslaughts of the flames, and seized the instruct

ir throats. Ten feet they made; and then, as though angry at being deprived of their prey, the flames burst with a sudden roar through the melting partition a few feet behind them and strove to conquer them with a scorching brea

down the first few steps to the landing at the turn, Mr. Whipple's inert body thumping along between them. There, with faces held close to

them, hoarse, anxious voices, and white faces peered

. Struggling to his knees, he seized Mr. Whipple's arm and strove to go on. But Grafto

urden. Then the crimson light went suddenly out and he subsided li

ed and roared, sending showers of sparks into the winter darkness. Behind him a red glare threw long moving shadow