could see on a table the satchel the lawyer had
brought with him from his office.

The sight of it caused Ralph to make renewed efforts for freedom. He
strained at his bonds strenuously. Finally a strand gave way.

It was just as he began to take hope that he might acquire his liberty
before his captors returned, that a sudden disaster occurred that
made the young fireman fear for his life.

Some more of the ceiling plastering fell. It struck the lamp on the
table, upset it, and in an instant the room was ablaze.

CHAPTER XX

IN PERIL

The young fireman gave a great shout of distress and excitement as he
realized that he was in a decidedly perilous predicament. The oil of
the lamp had ignited and the hut seemed doomed.

Ralph tugged at his bonds in a frenzy. Another strand of the rope gave
way, then another, and still another. He trembled with mingled
surprise and hope. Could he get free in time? It seemed not, for the
flames were spreading fast and furiously.

Suddenly there was a shout outside of the hut. It was repeated, and
then there came a great crash at the door. Ralph wondered at this, for
he could think only of Farrington and his accomplices returning to the
rescue. The loud pounding on the door, however, indicated that the
persons engaged in it had no key. There was more than one person;
Ralph ascertained this from the sound of mingled voices.

Suddenly the door gave way. It was burst bodily from its hinges and
went crashing against the blazing table, upsetting it. At just that
moment Ralph got one arm free. He was about to shout for assistance
when he recognized the intruders.

They were Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. Both dashed into the blazing room.
One found a pail of water and threw it in among the flames. This
subdued the blaze partially.

"Be quick!" cried Slump to his companion. "Grab all you can. You have
been watching the place, and say you know where old Farrington is
likely to hide his valuables."

"Right here," replied Bemis, tearing open the door of a cupboard.
"Here's a satchel."

"And here's another one," said Ike Slump, picking up the one that
Bartlett had brought to the place. "Look sharp, now. They may come
back at any moment."

The two marauders ransacked the room. Ralph refrained from calling out
to them. He could now reach his pocket knife, and just as Slump and
Bemis, pretty well singed by the flames, ran out of the hut, he
hurried to a rear door and darted outsid