He was pinned down by a timber that had all the weight of one of the heavy trucks on it, and it seemed impossible that they could get him out before the fire got to him. Already they could feel its intense heat as they chopped and pulled, wrenched and lifted, in a frenzy of haste. Nearer and nearer crept the all-embracing fire, until eyebrows and hair began to singe with the deadly heat, and they were forced to work in relays, relieving each other every minute or so. "For God's sake, if you can't get me out of here before the fire reaches me, kill me," pleaded the unfortunate prisoner, "don't let me roast here by degrees!" "No danger of that," gasped Bert, as he swung a huge timber aside that under ordinary circumstances he would have been unable even to move. "We'll have you out in a jiffy, now." "Come on boys, we've got to move this truck," yelled Reddy. "Here, everybody get hold on this side, and when I say pull, _pull_ for your lives! Now! get hold! Ready?" "Yes!" they gasped between set teeth. "Pull!" fairly screamed Reddy, and every man and boy grasping the obstinate mass of twisted metal put every ounce of strength in his body into one supreme effort. The mass swayed, gave, and then toppled back where it had been before! "Don't give up!" yelled Bert, frantically, as he saw some of the men release their hold and turn away, evidently despairing of accomplishing their object. "Try it again! For God's sake remember you're men, and try again! It's a human life that's at stake!" Thus adjured, they returned to the task, and at the signal from Reddy, wrenched and tore frantically at the inert mass that appeared to mock their puny efforts. "Keep it up, keep it up!" gritted Reddy. Slowly but surely, every muscle straining to its utmost and threatening to snap under the terrific strain, they raised the heavy truck, and with one last mad heave and pull sent it toppling down the railroad embankment. With a wild yell they fell upon the few light timbers lying between them and the imprisoned man, and soon had him stretched out safely beside the track. On examination it proved that he had an arm wrenched and several minor injuries, but nothing fatal. "Nothing I can say will express half the gratitude I feel toward you young men," he said, smiling weakly up into the faces of the boys grouped about him, "you have saved me from a horrible death, and I will never forget it." While waiting for the arrival of the wrecking crew and a doctor, the rescued man had considerable further talk with the members of the team, and they learned, much to their surprise, that he was an alumnus of their college. Their pleasure at this discovery was very great, and that of the stranger seemed little less. "The old college has done me a whole lot of good, all through my life," he said, "but never as much as it did to-day, through her baseball team. You will hear further from me, young men."