第43章

TO THE RESCUE

"Uncle! Uncle Barton!" faltered Mary, as she clung to Mr.Keith."Can't we get down the stairs?""I'm afraid not, Mary," he answered, and he closed the door of his office to keep out the smoke that was ever increasing.

"And won't the elevators come for us?"

"They don't seem able to get up," was his reply."Probably the fire started in the bottom of the shafts, and they act just like flues, drawing up the flames and smoke.""Then we must try the fire escapes!" exclaimed Mary, and she started toward the front window, pulling her uncle across the room after her.

"Mary, there aren't--aren't any fire escapes!" he said hoarsely."No fire escapes!" The girl turned paler than before.

"No, not an escape as far as I know.You see, this was thought to be a fireproof building at first and small attention was given to escapes.Then the law stepped in and the owners were ordered to put up regular escapes.They have started the work, but just now the old escapes have been torn down and the new ones are not yet in place.""Oh, but Uncle Barton! can't we do something?" cried Mary."There must be some way out! Let's try the elevators again, or the stairs!"Before Mr.Keith could stop her Mary had opened the door into the hall.To the agreeable surprise of her uncle there seemed to be less smoke now.

"We may have a chance!" he cried, and he rushed out."Hurry!"Frantically he pushed the button that summoned the elevators.Down below, in the elevator shafts, could be heard the roar and crackle of flames.

"Let's try the stairs!" suggested Mary."They seem to be free now."She started down the staircase which went in square turns about the battery of elevators, and her uncle followed.But they had not more than reached the first landing when a roll of black, choking smoke, mingled with sparks of fire, surged into their faces.

"Back, Mary! Back!" cried Mr.Keith, and he dragged the impetuous girl with him to their own corridor, and back into his offices which, for the time being, were comparatively free from the choking vapor.

"We must try the windows, Uncle Barton! We must!" cried Mary."Surely there is some way down--maybe by dropping from ledge to ledge!"Her uncle shook his head.Then he opened the window and looked out.As he did so there arose from the streets below the cries of many voices, mingled with the various sounds of fire apparatus -- the whistles of engines, the clang of gongs, and the puffing of steamers.

"The firemen are here! They'll save us!" cried Mary, as she heard the noises in the street below."We can leap into the life nets.""There isn't a life net made, nor men who could retain it, to hold up a person jumping from the tenth story," said her uncle."Our only chance is to wait for them to subdue the fire.""Isn't there a back way down, Uncle Barton?" "No, Mary!" He closed the window for, open as it was, the draft created served to suck smoke into the office, and Mary was coughing.

Uncle and niece faced each other.Trapped indeed they were, unless the fire, which was now raging all through the building, with the stairs and elevator shafts as a center.could be subdued.That the city fire department was doing its best was not to be doubted.

"We can only wait--and hope," said Mr.Keith solemnly.

Mary gave a gasp.Her uncle thought she was going to burst into tears, but she bravely conquered herself and faced him with what was meant to be a smile.But it is difficult to smile with quivering lips, and Mary soon gave up the attempt.

Mr.Keith went over to the water cooler--one of those inverted large glass bottles--and looked to see how much water it contained.

"It's nearly full," he said.