"Oh, I couldn't stay there and see the shed burn. Are you getting it
under control? Why don't you run out the Humming-Bird?"

Tom did not mention the choking fumes. He passed up a full extinguisher
to Eradicate, who had used all the chemical in his. Then Tom got another
ladder, and soon three streams were being directed on the flames. They
had eaten, a pretty big hole in the roof, but the chemicals were slowly
telling on them.

As soon as he saw that Eradicate and Mr. Jackson could control the
blaze, Tom descended to the ground, and ran once more to the big doors.
He was determined to make another try to wheel out the aeroplane, for he
saw from above that the flames were now on the side wall, and might
reach the craft any minute. And it would not take much to inflict
serious damage on the sky racer.

"I'll get her, fumes or no fumes!" murmured Tom, grimly. And, whether it
was the effect of the chemical streams, or whether the choking odors
were dissipated through the hole in the roof was not manifested, but, at
any rate, Tom found that he could go in, though he coughed and gasped
for breath.

He wheeled the aeroplane outside, for the Humming-Bird was almost as
light as her namesake. A hurried glance by the gleam of the dying fire
assured Tom that his craft was not damaged beyond a slight scorching of
one of the wing tips.

"That was a narrow escape!" he murmured, as he wheeled the sky racer far
away, out of any danger from sparks. Then he went back to help fight the