rator, whose duty it was
to look after that.

"My, you've got a big enough fire-fighting force, Tom!" cried Ned in
his chum's ear.

"Yes, I guess we can master it, if it hasn't gotten the best of us.
Say, it's going some, though!"

Tom pointed to where a shed, painted red--a sign of danger--could be
seen partly enveloped in smoke, amid the black clouds of which shot out
red tongues of flame.

"What have you got it painted red for?" Ned asked pantingly, as they
ran on.

"Because--" Tom began, but the rest of the sentence was lost in a yell.

Tom had caught sight of Eradicate and the giant, Koku, unreeling from a
central standpipe a long line of hose.

"Don't take that!" Tom cried. "Don't use that hose! Drop it!"

"What's the matter? Is it rotten?" Ned wanted to know.

"No, but if they pull it out the water will be turned on automatically."

"Well, isn't that what you want at a fire--water?" Ned demanded.

"Not at this fire," was Tom's answer. "There's a lot of calcium carbide
in that red shed--that's why it's red--to warn the men of danger. You
know what happens when water gets on carbide--there's an explosion, and
there's enough carbide in that shed to send the whole works sky high.

"Drop that hose!" yelled Tom in louder tones. "Drop it, Rad--Koku! Do
you want to kill us all!"

CHAPTER III

A DESPERATE BATTLE

Tom's tones and voice were so insistent that the giant and the colored
man had no choice but to obey. They dropped the hose which, half
unreeled, lay like some twisted snake in the grass. Had it been pulled
out all the way the water would have spurted from the nozzle, for it
was of the automatic variety, with which Tom had equipped all his plant.

"But what are you going to do, Tom, if you don't use water?" asked Ned,
wonderingly.

"I don't know--yet, but I know water is the worst thing you can put on
carbide," returned Tom. For all he spoke Slowly his brain was working
fast. Already, even now, he was planning how best to give battle to the
flames.

It needed but an instant's thought on the part of Ned to make him
understand that Tom was right. It would be well-nigh fatal to use water
on carbide. Those of you who have bicycle lanterns, in which that not
very pleasant-smelling chemical is used, know that if a few drops of
water are allowed to drip slowly on the gray crystals acetylene gas is
generated, which makes a brilliant light. But, if the water drips too
fast, the gas is gen