CHAPTER II
THE DEED OF A HERO
At the moment of Dick's leap from the car, Sub-master Luce didnot know what had happened. He realized in an instant what wasthe matter, and made frantic efforts to reach the scene at thesame moment with Prescott.
Dick, however, kept the lead.
As the flames shot up through the hay the children on top of thehay began to gather a sense of their awful danger.
Seconds---fractions of seconds---were of priceless value now---iflives were to be saved.
There was still time for the two children to jump over the sideon which the flames had not yet appeared, but they were too badlyfrightened to know what to do.
If they should jump where the flames were leaping up they werealmost certain to have their clothing catch fire, with fatal burnsas a result.
Dick felt that he did not have time to shout to the frightenedchildren. Besides, his commands would likely serve only to confusethem the more.
Terror-stricken the two little ones clasped each other and stoodscreaming with fear on the top of the load.
Dick's quick eye had taken in the only chance in this terrifyingsituation.
Straight for the apple tree he bounded, his first leap carryinghim into a crotch in the tree a few feet above the ground.
Out he sprang, now, on a limb of the tree that most nearly overhungthe load of hay.
That limb sagged under him---creaked---threatened to snap offunder his weight.
But young Prescott, wholly heedless of his own safety, and withonly one object in mind, scrambled out on the creaking limb asfar as he could; then, with a prayer on his lips, he made a wild,strenuous leap.
Sub-master Luce turned white as he saw what Dick had attemptedto do. Had he been made of more timorous stuff the high schoolteacher would have closed his eyes for that awful instant.
As it was, John Luce saw young Prescott land at the rear end ofthe load.
Dick felt himself slipping. For one frenzied second, he fearedthat he had failed. Young Strongheart that he was, he bracedall his muscles for the supreme effort---and drew himself up tosafer footing on the hay.
Then, like an eagle, he swooped down upon the children. The littlegirl he snatched from her tiny brother's clasp.
"Here!" called Sub-master Luce from the further side.
Brief as the time was Dick Prescott calculated the distance likelightning. There was no time to call back to Mr. Lucen---norneed to do so.
Aiming with all the precision at his command, Dick threw the childfrom him.
His aim splendidly true, he had the joy of seeing the child landin Mr. Luce's arms.
Without a moment's loss of time Prescott now snatched up the shriekingboy.
"Ready!" shouted Dick, and a second little body was thrown throughthe air.
Again did John Luce do credit to his college baseball training,for, hurriedly placing the girl baby on the ground he put up hishands to receive the boy.
"Jump yourself, Prescott!" bawled the submaster hoarsely.
But Dick was already in the air. With the flames shooting upand seeming fairly to lick his face, Dick had had no time to calculatehis jump.
On the ground, some feet beyond the wagon, Prescott landed, sprawlingon all fours.
He leaped up, however, his face twitching yet with a laugh onhis lips.
Behind him the whole load of hay now flared up, crackling andhissing.
"Hurry back out of the heat!" yelled John Luce, leaping forward,seizing young Prescott and dragging him several yards away.
Dick turned in time to see the whole glowing mass cave in.
Had he arrived on the scene a few seconds later than he did bothchildren would have perished miserably.
Now, from the house came a white-faced man, running as thoughsome demon animated him. Behind him came a woman even paler.
Toward father and mother ran the pair of little tots, wholly unmindfulof their rescuers.
As for the older, match-burning boy, that youngster half scaredto death, had dashed away into hiding to escape the wrath thathe knew must soon seek him.
"That was simply magnificent, Prescott!" said the sub-masterenthusiastically. "But I honestly believed that it would be yourlast good deed."
While the sub-master spoke he was running both hands up and downover the high school boy's clothing, putting out many glowingsparks that had found lodgment in the cloth.
"It was easy," smiled Dick. "Thank goodness I saw the troublein time!"
"There are others who are thankful that you saw it in time," utteredJohn Luce, as he looked toward the parents, now coming up as fastas they could, each with a child clasped in arms.
From the road went up a loud cheer. The trolley car had beenhalted and backed down to the scene. Though there were few peopleon the car, they made up amply in enthusiasm for their lack ofnumbers.
As for the farmer and his wife, though they tried to thank Dickand Mr. Luce, they were too completely overcome with emotion toexpress themselves intelligibly.
The wagon that had held the hay was now blazing fiercely. Asfor the hay, that had already burned to a fine powder.
"How---how did you ever get here in time?" cried the rejoicingmother brokenly.
It was the conductor of the trolley car, just reaching the spot,who told how Dick Prescott and Mr. Luce had leaped from the movingcar. The sub-master described Dick's feat in climbing the appletree and leaping from the limb of the tree to the top of the loadedhay wagon.
"It was a nervy thing for any man to do!" choked the farmer, tearsof joy running down his cheeks.
"It was just like Dick Prescott," replied John Luce simply.
As soon as possible Dick and the sub-master made their escapefrom the earnest protestations of gratitude of the farmer andhis wife, though they did not go until Mr. Luce had persuadedthe parents not to whip the mischievous match-burner, but to contentthemselves with pointing out to the little rascal the dreadfulpossibilities of such pranks.
At last, however, Dick and Mr. Luce returned to the car followedby the other passengers. The conductor gave the go-ahead signal,and the motor-man started in to try to make up some of the timelost from his schedule.
Dick, as soon as he reached Gridley, went up to Greg Holmes' house,where he knew his chums would be waiting to learn the result ofhis Tottenville trip.
That evening Sub-master Luce chanced to take a stroll up MainStreet. As the offices of the "Morning Blade" were lighted up,Mr. Luce stepped inside, seeking Editor Pollock in the editorialroom.
"Is Prescott about?" asked Mr. Luce, for Dick, as our readersknow, earned many a dollar as a "space-writer"; that is, he waspaid so much a column for furnishing and writing up local news.
"Dick went out about ten minutes ago," replied Mr. Pollock.
"Was he here long?"
"About fifteen minutes."
"By the way, Mr. Pollock," the sub-master went on, "what do youthink of Dick's latest feat?"
"Which one?"
"His fine work over on the Tottenville road this afternoon?"
"I haven't heard of it," replied Mr. Pollock, opening his eyes.
"Come to think of it," rejoined John Luce, "and knowing youngPrescott as I do, I don't suppose you have heard of it---not fromPrescott, at all events."
Then the sub-master told the story of the burning load of hayin a way that made the "Blade's" editor reach hastily for penciland paper that he might take notes.
"That's just the kind of story that Dick Prescott never couldbe depended upon to bring in here---if he was the central characterin it," observed the editor quietly.
Despite the failure of Dick to bring in this particular story,however, the "Blade," the next morning, printed more than a columnfrom the data furnished by Mr. Luce.
Dick, however, didn't hear of it---in Gridley. It was Harry Hazelton,who, at four o'clock, mounted a horse he had hired for the tripand rode over to Tottenville, where the camp wagon was obtainedfrom Mr. Newbegin Titmouse. Hazelt
on wasted no time on the road,but drove as fast as the horse could comfortably travel.
It was but a few minutes after six o'clock, that August morning,when Dick Prescott and his five chums, collectively famous asDick & Co., drove out of Gridley.
Harry Hazelton was now the driver, the other five high schoolboys walking briskly just ahead of the wagon.
Mr. Titmouse's special vehicle carried all that Dick & Co. wouldneed in the near future, and the six boys were setting out onwhat was destined to be their most famous vacation jaunt.