roken-out upper window, and also from
the edges of a scuttle on the roof. As the cadets hurried closer, they
saw a thin flame show itself for a moment just inside the window.

"It's on fire all right enough, but maybe they can get it under
control," announced Jack. "Come on, fellows! Do your duty!"

Warned by the fate which had overtaken Putnam Hall, Colonel Colby had
taken every possible precaution against fire. There were several large
water towers erected in and near the school buildings, and these were
connected with various fire plugs. There were also numerous lengths of
hose, with nozzles attached, hung up in the several buildings, and both
the cadets and the teachers had been instructed in a fire drill.

Some of the cadets, who had been in the gymnasium when the fire was
discovered, had already brought out the hose in that building and
attached it to one of the plugs. Now this water was turned on, and a
stream of fair size began to play upon the flames, the cadets, aided by
one of the teachers, dragging the hose up the narrow stairway for that
purpose.

"Get out hose number three and number eight!" directed Colonel Colby,
who was on the scene; and the cadets went to work with a will, and soon
had two more streams in action.

Despite the thickness of the smoke, two of the teachers and several of
the cadets had gone up into the second floor of the building and
located the fire.

"It's up near the steam radiator, just between the two windows,"
announced one of the teachers. "It's in some boxes and barrels that
contain straw and excelsior."

"Isn't the building on fire?" queried one cadet.

"The flames are going up to the roof, but so far they haven't broken
through."

The announcement that the fire so far was confined to some boxes and
barrels, nerved the cadets and the others to make a greater effort to
get it under control, and some began to fill buckets with water in the
washroom below, and these were passed up the narrow stairway and the
water thrown where it was apparently most needed.

Randy and Andy were in this bucket brigade, while Fred and Jack worked
with one of the hose gangs. It was exciting labor for all of the boys,
but this they did not mind.

"Hurrah! we're getting it under control!" shouted Major Mason presently.
"Keep it up, boys, and we'll save the whole building!"

In the crowd were, of course, Slugger, Nappy and Codfish. At the first
alarm they had run forth from the school and g