burned.

"Much loss, Tom?" asked Ned, as they surveyed the ruins. They
were both black and grimy, tired and dirty, but there was a great
sense of satisfaction.

"Well, yes, there's more lost than I like to think of,"
answered Tom slowly, "but it would have been a heap sight worse
if the stuff had gone up. Still, I can replace what I've lost,
except a few models I kept in this place. I really oughtn't to
have stored them here, but since I've been working on my new
aerial warship I have sort of let other matters slide. I intended
to make the red shed nothing but a storehouse for explosive
chemicals, but I still had some of my plans and models in it when
it caught."

"Only for the sand the whole place might have gone," said Ned
in a low voice.

"Yes. It's lucky I had plenty of ballast aboard the dirigible.
You see, I've been running it alone lately, and I had to take on
plenty of sand to make up for the weight of the several
passengers I usually carry. So I had plenty of stuff to shower
down on the fire. I wonder how it started, anyhow? I must
investigate this."

"Mr. Damon and Eradicate seem to have seen it first," remarked
Ned.

"Yes. At least they gave the alarm. Guess I'll ask Eradicate