the full fury of the storm struck in. Miss Prescott, who was in deadly fear of light

interest. The rain was coming down in sheets, but not one

asked Peggy, after a par

ejoined Jess, "it's rather to

with an eye-blistering blaze of blue fire. Stunned for an instant, and h

be "holding its breath" afte

declared Roy, the firs

s Prescott, "then th

ed Peggy; "don't you know that lightnin

nswer. In fact she had

outs were coming. Lou

e! f

s on fire at that far

ited tones from Roy as he

unning about,"

tack! See the smoke

k it. Say, we'd better go and

was so mean to us deserves any hel

eggy. "Go on, boys, the rain's let

sis. Come

armhouse. Several farm hands, under the direction of the disagreeable old man, whose name was Zenas Hutchings, were running about with buckets of

the assistance of the elements; but the storm had ceased almost as suddenly as it began, and

airingly to the boys a

"wa'al, you ain't brought me nuthin' but bad luck so far as I kin

His face was pale under the

er control purty soon," he cri

?" snapped old Hu

g ter fly. If ther fire gits much ho

cried old Hutchings,

bout him p

ire apparatus near

Corners. But that'

farm, like most up-to-date ones, was equipped with a telephone; at least t

honing" was the dis

hy

yonder, an' now--" He broke off in a half sob. Cantankerous as the old man had shown himself to be, and grasping withal, the boys could not help but feel sorry for the stricke

er with a visible effort, "thar's no chance of gitt

of getting the engine

nd there stood Peggy with Jess by her side. The tw

rtily, glancing approvingly at

r and ge

'll be switched!" g

s five miles, you say. Well, we ought to mak

ngines get back?" a

hez a right smart team," was the rejoinde

lames in check for a short time l

he fastest and lightest of the a?roplanes they had with them. Farmer Hutchings had hardly closed his mouth from its gaping expression

farmer, "you can't miss it. It's got a red brick church with

taking flight Jimsy espied a high red tower. Eight and one half minutes after the Dragon had shot aloft it fluttere

created commensurate excitement. But the boys had no time to answer the scores

hlessly, "a fire at Hutchings's farm. H

king young fel

be there in twenty-five minutes if I have to kill the horses. It's d

lmets and coats. In less time than the boys would have thought it possible a good-looking engine came

the way they leaped off the boys saw that

tionary, as, in a storm of cheers, his apparatus

the Topman's Cornerites were still wondering wi