He sprang out and tied the steaming horse to the hitching post.
Then he ran up to the front door, which appeared to be wide open, as
though one of the maids might have been doing some cleaning that
morning.
Dick reached out his hand to press the button that would summon a
servant to the door when he was thrilled to hear a sudden scream from
some portion of the house. It was so full of terror that the boy did not
hesitate an instant about entering without an invitation.
The screams continuing led him in the direction of the trouble, which
seemed to be on the second floor.
He passed a maid as he ran, who seemed to be fairly paralyzed with fear,
for she stood there like a post, with her hands clasped, and her lips
moving, as though calling on her patron saint to take care of her.
Dick chanced to be a boy who in an emergency acted first and then
considered afterwards; and it proved that he had need of this
characteristic just then if ever in his whole life.
He scented smoke even before he burst through the half open door of a
room and saw Mrs. Gibbs frantically slapping at the garments of her
daughter with a wet towel, while the window curtain and shade were
burning fiercely.
[Illustration: DICK SPRANG FORWARD.
_Dick the Bank Boy_ _Page 164_]
Dick sprang forward. He never once considered that this might be an
opportunity to distinguish himself; but only remembered that human life
and the home of his employer seemed in jeopardy.
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