CHAPTER XX.

JOE’S FATHER SAVES THE ENEMY.

Joe was as much astonished as any one to see Lemuel Akers on the top of one of the middle of the burning buildings.

How Lemuel had got there was a mystery, as the particular house in question was empty.

“It’s Lemuel!” cried Dick Burns.

“He is doomed!” ejaculated a bystander.

“Can’t they get a ladder to him?” asked our hero quickly.

Every one looked around. Several ladders were at hand, but none were long enough to reach the top of the house.

Besides, the lower floors were a mass of flames, which shot out of the numerous windows in all directions.

“He is doomed!” cried Larry Dare.

“Nothing can save him!” put in Sam Anderson.

“The foolish boy! What was he doing in that empty house?” queried Carl.

And so the cries ran on.

Lemuel Akers’ relatives were frantic and offered all sorts of rewards to any one who would go to the rescue.

“I’ll save him!”

It was Mr. Johnson who uttered the cry, and the bystanders looked at him in amazement.

“You can’t do it, Johnson.”

“You are crazy; no one can go into that building and get out alive.”

“I don’t intend to go into the building,” said Mr. Johnson.

“Then how will you save him?”

“I’ll show you.”

Mr. Johnson ran around until he found a light but strong washline.

The end of this line he tied securely to the upper rung of the longest ladder to be had.

Then he crossed the road to where stood a gigantic elm tree.

The tree was fully sixty feet from the burning building, but its branches spread out in every direction.

With an agility that would have done credit to a circus performer our hero’s father went up the trunk of the tree in double-quick order.

Once among the branches he drew the ladder up after him.

He kept on going up until he was on a branch on a level with the roof of the burning building.

Then with caution he worked his way outward. It was a dangerous proceeding, as a slip from his resting place might have meant death.

More than once the wind sent the smoke swirling about his head. At such times all he could do was to hold his breath and wait until the wind changed.

“Save me! Save me!” screamed Lemuel Akers. He was on the point of swooning from terror.

“Keep up your courage, Lemuel!” cried Mr. Johnson. “I am coming.”

“Where are you? I can’t see you.”

“Here in the tree.”

“I can’t jump to the tree.”

“Prepare to catch the end of the ladder I have brought up.”

“Have you a ladder?” and for the first time Lemuel’s tone took on a bit of hope.

“Yes. Watch for it.”

Out and out crawled Mr. Johnson, until he was within twenty feet of the roof beyond.

Then he brought the ladder up, resting the end against a smaller limb above.

When the lower end was at hand he tied it fast, so that it might not slip away.

“Now watch for it, Lemuel!” he cried.

Then, calculating the distance as best he could, the man shoved the top end of the ladder forward.

It fell just a little sideways, but the top overlapped the building gutter by two feet.

“Now come over!” cried the man to the frightened prisoner.

“I--I--can’t,” howled Lemuel. “I’ll fall to the ground.”

“Nonsense! Crawl from rung to rung and you’ll be perfectly safe.”

With his teeth chattering in his head, Lemuel Akers got down flat on his stomach and began to crawl at a snail’s pace toward the tree.

“Hurry up, the roof is catching!” called out Mr. Johnson. “Quick!”

Groaning and trembling, the big boy, more of a coward than ever, hurried himself, and half a minute later found himself safe in the tree.

“Now you can get down all right, I reckon,” said our hero’s father coldly.

Despite the excitement he had not forgotten how Lemuel had treated Joe.

“Oh, I can get down all right enough,” was Akers’ reply. “I was going to jump into the tree, anyway.”

And he turned his back on his rescuer and slid down to the ground.

Mr. Johnson remained above to pull away the ladder that it might not be burned. Willing hands helped him bring the ladder down.

“By jinks! but that was great!” cried Dick Burns, and he fairly hugged Joe. “Your father is a brave man.”

“Lemuel don’t think so.”

“Lemuel Akers is an ungrateful dog!” cried a man standing by. “He ought to be kicked out of the town.”

“That’s what I say!” put in another.

“He would have lost his life had it not been for Mr. Johnson.”

“Who said that?” exclaimed Lemuel, pushing his way forward. “Saved my life! Not much! I was just going to jump into the tree, anyway! I ain’t so very thankful, because I don’t fancy having the father of a jailbird----”

Lemuel got no further.

There was a dangerous fire in Joe’s eyes, but before he could move on the tall boy Dick Burns stepped between.

“Lem Akers, shut your mouth this instant! No, Joe, don’t whip him again, he isn’t worth it.”

“See here, Dick Burns--” howled Lemuel.

“I won’t listen to you,” went on Dick. “Do you want to know why? Because, while you insist on calling Joe a jailbird, I firmly believe you are the one who robbed Simon Pepper’s store.”

The crowd heard the words and stood in surprise. Every eye was cast on Lemuel Akers, who turned deadly white.

“Me?” he stammered. “Do you know what you are talking about, Dick Burns?”

“I do. I firmly believe you are the thief. Maybe when Joe’s trial comes off, the public will be treated to a surprise.”

What might have followed these words it is hard to say, for at that instant there came a strange cracking sound.

“Run! run! the wall is falling!”

Men and boys scattered in all directions.

The warning came too late, however, for all, for the crowd had been too close to the fire.

Down came a section of the row of dwellings. The burning timbers were hurled in all directions, and some of the pieces fell upon Dick Burns and Lemuel Akers, and they were stretched senseless upon the ground.