Just then a man came limping and seized hold of the hotel proprietor.
"Have you seen my brother, the professor?" he demanded, in a trembling voice.
"Oh! that you, Mr. Smythe? Your brother--no, I don"t remember seeing him.
But I guess everybody got out all right. He must be around somewhere,"
replied the other.
"I"ve asked a dozen people, and n.o.body has seen him. I tell you, man, he"s asleep up in that room yet, and will be burned to death!" exclaimed the gentleman, whom Jerry knew quite well. He was very lame and walked with difficulty.
His brother, a balloonist of national reputation, had been visiting him recently, and on account of some sickness at the house, had taken a room at the hotel.
"But no sane man could sleep through all this beastly row; and sure we haven"t seen any one at the windows, have we, boys?" went on the fat hotel man.
"But you don"t understand. I tell you he has been unable to sleep for several nights, and just before he left me early to-night he took a sleeping powder that he said would make him dead to the world for eight hours! He"s up in his room yet, and will be lost unless some one goes and drags him out!" cried Mr. Smythe.
"Which is his room, Mr. Ten Eyck?" demanded an eager voice.
The stout hotel man looked at the speaker, who was none other than Jerry.
"You see that window over there at the end of the house, third floor--that"s his room! But the stairs must be ablaze by now, boy! It would be suicide to think of trying to go up there!" he cried.
"Come on, Frank; we"ll take a look in, anyhow!" shouted Jerry as he dashed off, followed by his chum, equally excited.
Still, Frank was ordinarily a cool-headed fellow, and accustomed to weighing chances somewhat before imperiling his life. In this case, of course, he knew that more or less risk must be taken if they hoped to save the sleeping balloonist.
One look they took in at the front door. The whole place was ablaze.
"Get out of the way, boys; we"re going to put the hose in there!" cried one of the wearers of the fire-hats and coats, as he advanced.
"No chance there!" exclaimed Frank, in despair, as he moved back.
Jerry clutched his arm.
"Come along with me. Perhaps the back stairs may not be burning, yet.
They happen to be further along toward the safe side. There"s a chance!"
he panted.
Half a minute later they had turned the corner, and were close to the rear exit.
"See, the smoke is coming out, but no fire. Shall we risk it?" asked the eager Jerry.
Frank swept a quick look above and around. He was weighing the thing in his mind, so that they might not be carried by impulse to their doom.
"It"s worth while. At the worst we can jump into that tree from the window. And it"s just terrible to think of the professor sleeping on until he is caught. Lead the way, Jerry; you know about it better than I do. Remember, on the third floor, and turn to the left!"
They darted in. Several persons near by shouted warnings, but the words fell on deaf ears, for already the daring lads were rushing up the narrow stairs. Around them the smoke was dense. It smarted their eyes dreadfully, so that they were compelled to rub them from time to time in order to see at all.
Reaching the first landing, Jerry turned to the left. Frank had hold of his chum"s coat, for he did not want to get lost in that smoky interior, and Jerry was the one acquainted with the situation.
Now they had reached the second flight of stairs. A burst of red fire further along the hall served to show them for a brief s.p.a.ce of time how matters stood. Up the stairs they stumbled, gaining the upper landing.
Again Jerry turned to the left.
"He said the last room, didn"t he?" he gasped.
"Yes, go on!" answered Frank, still gripping his comrade"s garment.
"Then here"s the door!"
"Shut?"
"Yes, and locked, too! What shall we do?" exclaimed Jerry.
"Kick it in--any old way, but we must be quick!" answered the other.
Then the two threw themselves upon the door. It quickly gave way before their combined a.s.sault. They pushed into the room. The smoke had gained a footing here, but on account of the closed door it was not nearly so bad as in the halls.
Immediately they saw a figure stretched across the bed. The balloonist had evidently been overcome by sleep before he thought to undress, and dropped over just as he had come from his lame brother"s house.
"Wake up, professor, the house is on fire!" shouted Frank in the ear of the man.
Jerry, meanwhile, was shaking him vigorously; but all their efforts seemed to be of no avail. The man slept on as peacefully as though a babe, such was the power of the drug he had taken.
"We can"t stay here long," said Frank, as the smoke thickened in the room. "And as he won"t wake up, why, we"ll have to try and carry or drag him down."
Fortunately, the man was not a very large person, or they might have despaired of ever accomplishing such a thing.
"Take hold on that side, Jerry. Now, lift, and drag his heels. That"s the only way we can do," exclaimed Frank, who feared that even short as their stay in that room had been they would find conditions changed for the worse when they again reached the hall.
The professor paid not the least attention to what they were doing. He had possibly taken an overdose of his sleeping-powder, and only for the coming of the two chums must have perished miserably, like a rat in a trap.
When Frank threw open the door of the room again he uttered a cry of alarm. The back stairway was a ma.s.s of flame. Although hardly more than two minutes had pa.s.sed since they came up those stairs, it was now manifestly impossible to pa.s.s down again.
He slammed the door shut and found Jerry staring at him in the half light.
"Talk to me about your fiery furnaces, that beats them all!" exclaimed Frank"s chum, as he let go the professor"s shoulders. "What shall we do now?"
Frank ran over to the window and threw up the sash. He looked out and then came back to where Jerry stood, trembling with excitement. Frank was as cool as ever in his life.
"There"s a chance, Jerry," he shouted. "No fire below! Take hold here; tear up these sheets and knot them into a rope. Work for your life, and if the fire only holds back we may be able to save both the professor and ourselves! But work! work!"
CHAPTER III
HEADED SOUTH