"
Speeding above fields and woodland the red messenger of pending disaster
raced through the air. Five minutes after taking flight Jimsy espied a
high red tower. Eight and one half minutes after the _Dragon_ had shot
aloft it fluttered to earth on the village street of Topman's Corners,
amid an amazed group of citizens who had seen it approaching.
It was the first aeroplane ever seen in the remote Pennsylvanian hamlet,
and it created commensurate excitement. But the boys had no time to
answer the scores of questions, foolish and otherwise, that were
volleyed at them from all sides.
"There's a fire!" exclaimed Jimsy breathlessly, "a fire at Hutchings's
farm. How soon can you get the engines there?"
A stalwart-looking young fellow stepped up.
"I'm chief of the department," he said, "we're the 'Valiants.' I'll be
there in twenty-five minutes if I have to kill the horses. It's downhill
most of the way, anyhow. Jim, you run off and ring ther bell."
A second later the fire bell was loudly clanging and several of the
crowd melted away to don their helmets and coats.
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