The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 30

"That's what we must find out," said Mr. Sanders dryly.

Meanwhile the party was returning to the building and had covered half the distance when they all stopped abruptly as George exclaimed, "There's a light there now! Can't you see it? It's up in the corner of the eaves."

A moment later all declared that they could see the flames to which George had referred, but as they resumed their walk John said abruptly, "That's more than a flash-light, that's a fire! I tell you, fellows, the old Meeker House is on fire!"

Instantly every one stopped but only a brief delay was required to confirm the startling statement. The flames by this time had burst through the roof and it was evident that unless help speedily was obtained the house which had stood nearly two centuries was doomed.

There was no further waiting now and quickly all five were running toward the blazing building. This time, however, Mr. Sanders was not leading the party. The boys speedily outdistanced him and as soon as they arrived within the yard they discovered that two other men were already on the ground.

By this time the fire was under strong headway. The timbers of the dwelling house, old and dry, were burning almost like tinder. Sparks were flying from the blazing roof and the flames were steadily mounting higher and higher.

Across the field from the opposite road forms of men approaching the building could be seen, and the wild cry "Fire!" "Fire!" was heard on every side.

There were no buckets or pails to be found in the dwelling, as was speedily discovered when the doors were burst open. Near the kitchen door was the old well, which had been used in former generations. A well-sweep was there, but the heavy weight which had been used to balance the bucket was gone and it had been long since the water in the depths below had been disturbed. In desperation, however, the entire party sought to find some means of stopping the fire.

Some of the men who now had arrived started swiftly across the fields toward houses that could be seen in the distance. There was a vague thought that they might obtain pails and ropes that would enable them to quench the flames. By the time the men returned, however, the house was doomed.

Fascinated by the sight, the boys withdrew from the spot and watched the blazing dwelling as the flames leaped and roared and crackled.

"There goes the chimney!" exclaimed Fred in a low voice, as a pile of bricks fell cras.h.i.+ng into the depths.

"I wonder what became of those chimney-swallows," suggested John.

"I guess those that could fly are gone and those that were too young to fly are already burned," said Grant.

"How do you suppose that fire started?" inquired George.

As no one had a ready solution his question remained unanswered. The boys now, however, were rejoined by Mr. Sanders, who explained that it was perilous as well as useless to attempt to fight the flames longer.

The most that could be expected was to prevent the flying embers from setting fire to fences or to buildings that were not far away.

"It's a pity," said Mr. Sanders slowly, "that the old house had to go in this way."

"And it never gave up all its secrets either," added Fred. "We were just on the point of finding out, when the whole thing goes up in smoke."

"I fancy that what you call 'secrets' will all be explained. My thought is that the two men, whom we found here when we came back across the fields, can tell more about the origin of the fire than we think."

"Who were the men?" inquired George.

"I don't know either of them," answered Mr. Sanders. "To me they looked like tramps."

Startled by the unexpected statement the boys stared blankly at one another and then as if moved by a common impulse they turned and advanced among the spectators who now numbered at least three score.

"Isn't it wonderful," suggested Grant, "what a crowd you can get and in such a little while even out in the country, if anything unusual is going on? I wouldn't have believed that a blast on Gabriel's trumpet could have brought twenty people here in an hour and yet in less than twenty minutes there's a crowd. Where do you suppose they came from?"

"That fire can be seen a long distance," explained George, "and there's nothing like a fire to get a crowd. There's the tramp!" he abruptly added, nodding, as he spoke, toward a man who could be seen on the outskirts of the a.s.sembly.

By common consent all four boys instantly ran to the place where the man was seen.

As they approached, however, the tramp, for George's statement proved to be correct, apparently became aware of their coming and instantly departed.

To the boys it seemed that he had moved around to the other side of the burning building but when they sought him there he was not to be found.

"What do you suppose it all means?" inquired John blankly. "He acted as if he didn't want to see us."

"Probably he didn't," suggested George. "That's his right."

"It may be and it may not be," retorted John. "I don't believe he will stand very long on the order of his departure."

"Why not?"

"Probably he could tell more about how the fire started than any one in the crowd."

"What do you mean?" demanded George as the three boys stopped and stared into the face of their friend.

"I don't know just how much I do mean, but we all know that the tramp used the old Meeker House as a sort of headquarters, or at least that he used to stop there nights, and it may be that he was here when the fire first started."

"Of course he was," spoke up John. "Don't you remember that he told me that if we would come over to the house after dinner, we would see something interesting?"

"Well, all I can say is that we came and that we certainly found something interesting," said George dryly, as the falling timbers crashed into the fire and great showers of sparks fell all about the waiting boys.

CHAPTER XXV-A TALK WITH THE TRAMP

Following the fall of the walls of the old house, the fire blazed up anew and a fresh shower of sparks fell far from the blazing building.

The crowd was helpless. The only water to be had was from the old well which now had caved in and the small amount which could be secured had been exhausted in the early part of the fire. The timbers were old and dry, and blazed almost like burning paper. The faces and forms of the spectators seemed to be ghostly in the light against the dark background of the night.

For an hour the blaze still continued, but the flames were gradually becoming lower. No longer were there showers of blazing sparks that fell upon the ground far away.

There was only a dim glow when at last Mr. Sanders led the way back to the automobile. The excitement of the boys, however, still continued and when their car started they were all looking back at the spot where the crowd, fantastic in its appearance in the dim light and the glow of the dying fire, were still to be seen.

"Well, there's one thing I feel almost as badly about as I do the loss of the old building," said John thoughtfully, as the car sped homeward.

"What is that?" inquired George.

"Now we shall never know about the mysteries of the old place."

"There aren't very many mysteries left," suggested Fred. "We have found out about the speaking tube and the chimney-swallows."

"Yes," said Grant, "but how about that blaze?"

"I suspect," joined in Mr. Sanders, "that the blaze you speak of had something to do with the burning of the old house."

"What do you mean?" inquired George quickly.

"That's just what I mean," replied Mr. Sanders. "Somebody had a flash-light over there and probably set fire to the building. I haven't any idea who could have done it."