"But what are you going to do, Tom, if you don't use water?"
asked Ned, wonderingly.

"I don't know--yet, but I know water is the worst thing you can
put on carbide," returned Tom. For all he spoke Slowly his brain
was working fast. Already, even now, he was planning how best to
give battle to the flames.

It needed but an instant's thought on the part of Ned to make
him understand that Tom was right. It would be well-nigh fatal to
use water on carbide. Those of you who have bicycle lanterns, in
which that not very pleasant-smelling chemical is used, know that
if a few drops of water are allowed to drip slowly on the gray
crystals acetylene gas is generated, which makes a brilliant
light. But, if the water drips too fast, the gas is generated too
quickly, and an explosion results. In lamps, of course, and in
lighting plants where carbide is used, there are automatic
arrangements to prevent the water flowing too freely to the
chemical. But Tom knew if the hose were turned on the fire in the
red shed a great explosion would result, for some of the tins of
carbide would be melted by the heat.

Yet the fire needed to be coped with. Already the flames were
coming through the roof, and the windows and door were spouting
red fire and volumes of smoke.

Several other employees of Tom's plant had made ready to unreel
more hose, but the warning of the young inventor, shouted to
Eradicate and Koku, had had its effect. Every man dropped the