their combined assault. They pushed into the room. The smoke had gained a
footing here, but on account of the closed door it was not nearly so
bad as in the halls.

Immediately they saw a figure stretched across the bed. The balloonist
had evidently been overcome by sleep before he thought to undress, and
dropped over just as he had come from his lame brother's house.

"Wake up, professor, the house is on fire!" shouted Frank in the ear of
the man.

Jerry, meanwhile, was shaking him vigorously; but all their efforts
seemed to be of no avail. The man slept on as peacefully as though a
babe, such was the power of the drug he had taken.

"We can't stay here long," said Frank, as the smoke thickened in the
room. "And as he won't wake up, why, we'll have to try and carry or drag
him down."

Fortunately, the man was not a very large person, or they might have
despaired of ever accomplishing such a thing.

"Take hold on that side, Jerry. Now, lift, and drag his heels. That's the
only way we can do," exclaimed Frank, who feared that even short as their
stay in that room had been they would find conditions changed for the
worse when they again reached the hall.

The professor paid not the least attention to what they were doing. He
had possibly taken an overdose of his sleeping-powder, and only for the
coming of the two chums must have perished miserably, like a rat in a