More engines arrived with the sending in of the third alarm, and several ambulances were on the scene, as a number of men had been hurt in the explosion. Within the space made by the ropes there was plenty of room to move about, but there was much confusion. Larry spied Mr. Newton as close to the blaze as the reporter could get. Then he saw him dart over to an ambulance to which they had carried a wounded man. Larry ran after his new friend, and found him getting the name of the injured piano worker, who was badly burned. The poor fellow was being swathed in cotton and oil by the ambulance surgeon, but the reporter did not seem to think of this. He asked the man for his name and address, got them, and jotted them down on his paper, which was now quite wet, since he had furled the umbrella. “Back on the job, eh?” questioned Mr. Newton, stopping a moment in his rush to notice Larry. “Did Mr. Emberg say he’d send me some help?” “Mr. Emberg?” asked Larry. “Yes. The city editor you telephoned to?” “Oh yes, I heard him tell someone to ‘jump out on the fire.’” “Then they’ll come. Now, youngster, let’s see--what’s your name? Oh yes,--Larry. Well, I’m going to have my hands full now. Never mind about holding the umbrella. But drop in the _Leader_ office and see me some day, say about five o’clock in the afternoon, after we go to press.” “All right,” said Larry, dimly wondering how he was to get home, since he had spent his last ten cents for the telephone. But Mr. Newton was thoughtful to remember that item, and taking a quarter from his pocket he handed it to Larry. “That’s for the message and your trouble,” he said. Larry was glad enough to take it, though he would have been satisfied with ten cents. “Don’t forget to call and see me!” said Mr. Newton. The next instant there came loud cries of warning, and looking up Larry saw the whole upper front of the building toppling outward, and ready to fall over. “Back! Back for your lives!” cried police and firemen in a shrill chorus. Larry turned and ran, as did scores of others who were in the path of the crumbling masonry. A moment later the crash came. Then followed a rush of the frightened crowd, in which Larry was borne from his feet and carried along, until he found himself two blocks from the fire. He turned to make his way back to within the fire lines, but found it too hard a task, as the crowd was now enormous. Then he decided to give it up as a bad job, and go home. Inquiry of a policeman showed him which car to take, and an hour later he was in the small apartment, where he was met by his mother and the children, who were much alarmed over his absence. “No luck, mother,” Larry said, in answer to a look from Mrs. Dexter. “But I earned fifteen cents, anyhow, by helping at a fire.” “Helping at a fire?” Then Larry told his experience to the no small wonderment of them all. “Maybe Mr. Newton will help me get a job,” he said hopefully.