"Now, we'll haul you up," called down Reade.

"Forget it," mocked Darrin. "Toss down the rope and I'll use
my own muscles."

So Dave joined them and stood beside them on the roof.

"Now, we'd better make the street as soon as we can," Darrin advised.
"The one who's strongest pick up Miss Dodge, and another stand
by for relief. Two of you will have to tote Dick. I wish I could
help, but I'm afraid my strength is 'most all out."

Dave, however, led the way. By the time that the little party
had descended two flights they were met by firemen rushing up.
After that the task of reaching the street was easy.

As the rescuers and rescued came out upon the street the crowd,
now driven back beyond police lines, started to cheer.

But Dave's hand, held up, acted as a silencer. Dick and Miss
Dodge were carried to a neighboring drug store for attention.

Now the firemen tried to run up ladders to the studio floor, with
a view to fighting the flames by turning the stream on through
the windows. Flames drove them back. The on-lookers were quick
to grasp the fact that had no one acted before the arrival of
the firemen, Grace Dodge would have been lost indeed. As it was,
the fire fighters were obliged to fight the fire from the roof
of the next building.

The office building in which the flames had started was almost
gutted before the blaze was subdued.

An hour later Grace Dodge was placed in an automobile and carried
to her home, a physician accompanying her.

She had revived for a brief period, but had again sunk into
unconsciousness. Whether her life could be saved was a matter
of the gravest doubt.

And Dick?

Young Prescott was revived soon enough, after expert assistance
had been secured.

Yet he had swallowed more of the overheated air than had the girl.

In the minds of the medical men there was a grave doubt as to
whether his lungs could be fully restored---or whether he would
be doomed to a spell of severe lung trouble, ending, most likely,
in death at a later day!

Scores of people turned back from that fire with tears in their
eyes.

They had seen this day something that they would remember all
their lives.

"Dick and Dave were wondering whether they had courage enough
for the military service," sobbed Laura Bentley, in the privacy
of Belles room. "They have courage enough for anything!"

Dick was up and about the next day, though he did not go to school.

Moreover, later reports place