第2章

"Big crowds--'um go to see big--"

"Heah! Let me tell Massa Tom!" pleaded Rad.Poor Rad! He was getting old and could not perform the services that once he had so readily and efficiently done.Now he was eager to help Tom in such small measure as carrying him a message.So it was with a feeling of sadness that Tom heard the old man say again, pleadingly:

"Let me tell him, Koku! I know all 'bout it! Let me tell Massa Tom whut it am, an'--""Well, go ahead and tell me!" burst out Tom, with a good- natured laugh."Don't keep me in suspense.If there's anything going on--"He did not finish the sentence.It was evident that something ofmoment was going on, for the crowds in the street were now running instead of walking, and voices could be heard calling back and forth such exclamations as:

"Where is it?" "Must be a big one

"And with this wind it'll be worse!"

Tom glanced at Ned and then at the two servants."Has anything happened?" asked the young inventor."Dey's a big fire, Massa Tom!" exploded Rad.

"Heap big blaze!" added Koku.

At the same time, out in the street high and clear, the cry rang out: "Fire! Fire!""Is it any of our buildings?" exclaimed Tom, in his excitement catching hold of the giant's arm.

"No, it's quite a way off, on de odder side of town," answered the colored man."But we t'ought we'd better come an' tell yo', an'--""Yes! Yes! I'm glad you did, Rad.It was perfectly right for you to tell me! I wish you'd done it sooner, though! Come on, Ned! Let's go to the blaze! We can finish looking over the figures another time.Is my father all right, Rad?""Yes, suh, Massa Tom, he's done sleepin' good.""Then don't disturb him.Mr.Newton and I will go to the fire.I'm glad it isn't here," and Tom looked from a side window out on many shops that were not a great distance from the house; shops where he and his father had perfected many inventions.

The buildings had grown up around the old Swift homestead, which, now that so much industry surrounded it, was not the most pleasant place to live in.Tom and his father only made this their stopping place in winter.In the summer they dwelt in a quiet cottage far removed from the scenes of their industry.

"We'll take the electric runabout, Ned," remarked Tom, as he caught up a hat from the rack, an example followed by his friend.Together the young inventor and the financial manager hurried out to the garage, where Tom soon had in operation a small electric automobile, that, more than once,had proved its claim to being the "speediest car on the road."As they turned out of the driveway into the street they became aware of great crowds making their way toward a glow of sinister red light showing in the eastern sky.

"Some blaze!" exclaimed Tom, as he turned on more power.

"You said it!" ejaculated Ned."Must be a general alarm," he added, as they caught the sound from the next street of additional apparatus hurrying to the fire.

"Well, I'm glad it isn't on our side of town," remarked Tom, as he looked back at the peaceful gloom surrounding and covering his own home and work buildings.

"Where do you reckon it is?" asked Ned, as they sped onward.

"Hard to say," remarked the young inventor, as he steered to one side to pass a powerful imported automobile which, however, did not have the speed of the electric runabout."A fire at night is always deceiving as to direction.But we can locate it when we get to the top of the hill."Shopton, the suburb of the town where Tom lived, was named so because of the many shops that had been erected by the industry of the young inventor and his father.In fact the town was named Shopton though of late there had been an effort to change the name of the strictly residential section, which lay over the hill toward the river.

Tom's car shot up the slope with scarcely any slackening of speed, and, as he passed a group of men and boys running onward, Tom shouted:

"Where is it?"

"The fireworks factory!" was the answer.

"Fireworks factory!" cried Ned."Bad place for a fire!" "I should say so!" exclaimed Tom.

The chums had become gradually aware of the gale that was blowing, and, as they reached the summit of the hill and caught sight of the burning factory, they saw the flames being swept far out from it and toward a collection of houses on the other side of a vacant lot that separated the fireworks industrial plant from the dwellings.As Tom Swift glimpsed the fire, noted its proportions and the fierceness of the flames, and saw which way the wind was blowing them, he turned on the power to the utmost.

"What are you doing, Tom?" yelled Ned.

"I'm going down there!" cried Tom."That place is likely to explode any minute!""Then why go closer?" gasped Ned, for his breath was almost taken away by the speed of the car, and he had to hold his hat to keep it from blowing away."Why don't you play safe?""Don't you understand?" shouted Tom in his chum's ear."The wind is blowing the fire right toward those houses! Mary Nestor lives in one of them!""Oh--Mary Nestor!" exclaimed Ned.Then he understood--Mary and Tom were engaged to be married.

"They may be all right," Tom went on."I can't be sure from this distance.Or they may be in danger.It's a bad fire and--"His voice was blotted out in the roar of an explosion which seemed to hurl back the electric runabout and bring it to a momentary stop.