"Where is he now?" Search was made for the watchman, but he had disappeared. Awaking to a consciousness of what mischief he had caused through his carelessness, he had slipped away in the confusion, and was not likely to return. "The boy tells the truth," said one of the crowd. "I saw the watchman smoking myself. No doubt the fire caught from his pipe. The boys are innocent. Better let them go." The two custodians of Jerry and Ben released their hold, and they gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to remove themselves to a safer distance from their late bedchamber. Two fire-engines came thundering up, and streams of water were directed effectively at the burning bales. The flames were extinguished, but not till considerable damage had been done. As the two boys watched the contest between the flames and the engines, from a safe distance, they heard the sonorous clang of the bell in the church-tower, ringing out twelve o'clock. CHAPTER VII. BEN'S TEMPTATION. "Jest my luck!" complained Jerry. "Why couldn't the fire have waited till mornin'?" "We might have burned up," said Ben, who was considerably impressed by his narrow escape. "Only we didn't," said Jerry. "We'll have to try another hotel for the rest of the night." "Where shall we go?" "We may find a hay-barge down to the pier at the foot of Franklin Street." "Is it far?" "Not very." "Let us go then." So the boys walked along the street until they came to the pier referred to. There was a barge loaded with hay, lying alongside the wharf. Jerry speedily provided himself with a resting-place upon it, and Ben followed his example. It proved to be quite as comfortable, if not more so, than their former bed, and both boys were soon asleep. How long he slept Ben did not know, but he was roused to consciousness by a rude shake. "Wake up there!" said a voice. Ben opened his eyes, and saw a laboring man bending over him. "Is it time to get up?" he inquired, hardly conscious where he was. "I should think it was, particularly as you haven't paid for your lodging." "Where's Jerry?" asked Ben, missing the boot-black. The fact was, that Jerry, whose business required him to be astir early, had been gone over an hour. He had not felt it necessary to wake up Ben, knowing that the latter had nothing in particular to call him up. "I don't know anything about Jerry. You'd better be going home, young 'un. Take my advice, and don't stay out another night." He evidently thought that Ben was a truant from home, as his dress would hardly class him among the homeless boys who slept out from necessity.