CHAPTER XVI
ANOTHER CLEW
With a hissing sound, the chemical streams from the extinguishersspurted upon the blaze. The fire died down around the edges of the bighole that had been burned in the floor, but in the centre there was hotflame.
"Can we get it under?" panted Sid, who, having emptied one extinguisher--asmall one--ran after another.
"We've got to!" declared Phil, trying to shield his face from the fierceheat.
"If we can only keep it down until the fellows come with the hose, we'lldo all right," gasped Tom, choking from the smoke. There was a highpressure water service maintained at the college, hose being connectedwith a big tank, for the buildings were so far from town that the firedepartment could not easily get there.
Again and again the alarm boomed out from the big bell, rung by thevigorous arms of the Californian. The others kept playing the streamson the fire, retreating as it got hotter, and rushing in on it as theygained a momentary advantage.
"Aren't they ever coming?" gasped Tom. The college lads had formed anamateur fire brigade, and had frequent drills.
"They've got to--pretty soon!" choked Phil.
"Here they come!" cried Frank, and he hastened down from the organ loft,where he had been pulling on the bell rope, catching up an extinguisheras he came. Soon he was adding his stream to the others.
Outside could be heard excited yells and shouts, and the rumble of thehand hose carts as the students rushed them toward the chapel.
In a short time Tom and his chums were being assisted by scores of theirmates, who, in all sorts of nondescript garments, formed a strangecontrast to our four heroes, in their immaculate dress suits--no, notimmaculate any longer, for they were dripping from the chemicals, theywere dirty and smoke begrimed, and Tom and Sid's garments were scorchedin several places by the sparks.
"Say, did you fellows stop to tog up before you came to the fire?"demanded Holly Cross hoarsely, as he directed a stream of water into thevery heart of the blaze.
"Of course," answered Tom, for he saw Proctor Zane coming up with twopails of water to dash on the embers.
"Well, I'll be----" began Holly, and Sid quickly stopped him with apunch in the ribs.
The fire, which had been discovered soon after it broke out, could notstand the combined assault of the water and chemicals, and, soon afterthe arrival of the student brigade, it was practically extinguished. Ithad started from an overheated flue, and had burned quite a hole inthe floor, but, aside from that damage, the destruction of some pews,cushions and hymn books, the loss was comparatively slight. The valuablestained glass windows had not been harmed, though some of the delicatefresco work on the side walls was smoke-begrimed.
"Well, I guess that's out," remarked Dutch Housenlager, as he lookeddown into the basement through the burned hole in the floor.
"And very efficient work you young gentlemen did, too," complimented theproctor. "If it had gotten much more headway, the chapel would have beenconsumed. May I ask who discovered the fire."
There was a moment's hesitation. Our friends realized what it might meanto tell just _how_ they had discovered it. Their chums, among whom thestory had quickly circulated, kept silent.
"I heard the alarm bell ring, and I jumped up," said Jerry Jackson,innocently.
"So did I," echoed his brother.
"Who rang the bell?" the proctor wanted to know.
"Could the heat waves have done it?" suggested Professor Newton, who wasmuch interested in science. "It is possible," and he looked up in thedirection of the belfry, and shivered slightly, for he was only partlydressed.
"I rang the bell," admitted Frank Simpson, in a low voice.
"Ah, then we have to thank you for discovering the fire and giving thealarm," went on the proctor. "It was----"
"We all discovered the blaze at the same time," remarked Tom,desperately, and he indicated his companions.
"That's right," agreed Sid and Phil. They made up their minds that theywere in for it now.
"Oh, you saw it from your window, I presume," went on Mr. Zane, "and youcame out----"
Then, for the first time, he seemed to realize that the quartette wereattired in dress-suits--wet, bedraggled, chemical-marked and scorchedevening clothes--but still dress-suits.
"Oh, ah, er--that is----" he began.
"We were coming home from a dance over at Fairview," said Phil,doggedly, "and we saw the blaze."
"Oh," exclaimed the proctor, illuminatingly, and then, unconsciouslyperhaps, he looked at his watch, and noted the lateness of the hour."You four young gentlemen will call at my office to-morrow--thismorning," he hastily corrected himself.
"Yes, sir," answered Tom, with a grim setting of his jaw.
An examination showed that there were no sparks left, and the studentswere ordered to return to their rooms. The janitors were sent for, toremain on guard and place boards over the hole in the floor.
"Don't you think he has nerve, to tell us to report to him, after whatwe did?" asked Tom, when, following a rather restless night, he and hischums were on their way to services the next morning. The chapel was notso badly burned, but that it could be used.
"Zane? Oh, he's _all_ nerve!" declared Sid. "I almost wish we'd let itburn!"
"Shut up, you anarchist!" cried Phil. "We'll take our medicine."
But there was none to take. The proctor met them on their way to chapel,and smiled as genially as was possible for him.
"Young gentlemen," he said, "you need not report at my office.Personally, I wish to thank you for the service you rendered to RandallCollege last night--or, rather, this morning," and he smiled grimly."Had it not been for you, we should have had no chapel in which toworship to-day. I thank you most sincerely," and then Proctor Zane didan unheard-of thing. He shook hands with Tom and his chums.
"Well, what do you know about that?" gasped Phil, when the proctor hadpassed on.
"He didn't say a word about our being out late," came from Sid.
"Pinch me--I think I'm dreaming!" begged Tom, but they were all toointerested in other matters to comply with his request.
Dr. Churchill referred to the fire in his remarks that morning, and thewords of praise he bestowed on our heroes made them wish they weresitting over the hole in the floor, that they might sink through out ofsight, and so hide their blushes.
Dutch Housenlager started to whistle, "See, the Conquering Hero Comes,"when he saw the four approaching, but Tom upset him with a quick tackle,and Dutch subsided.
The fire and football furnished fruitful topics for conversation amongthe students for some days to come, so much so that our heroes hadlittle time to think about their missing chair and clock, until anunexpected happening brought the matter forcibly to their attentionagain.
They had been out together to a meeting in the gymnasium one night, andon their return, Phil, who was ahead, had some trouble opening the door.
"One of you fellows left your key in it when you went out," he said, ashe removed it, and inserted his own.
"Not me," asserted Tom.
"Me either," declared Sid. "I've got mine."
"So have I," added the end.
Phil said nothing until he had entered the room, followed by his chums.Then, turning on the light, he examined the key he had taken from thedoor.
"Fellows, look here!" he exclaimed. "Here's a clew to our mysteriousvisitor and thief. This key is a false one, and has been filed down fromsome other kind. This thing is getting serious."