“Here come the fire engine and the ladder wagon, full tilt!” shouted someone; and then the shouts broke out afresh; but now they were happy cries. “It’s all over! Go back home, and put away your helmets for another day. You’ve lost your job, boys! Frank Allen and his high-school fire brigade put it all out! Three cheers for Frank and his bunch! Everybody yell now.” It was the loud-voiced cheer captain who shouted these words; and it seemed as if a thousand people joined Herman Hooker in the cheers he called for, that made the ears of Frank Allen and his comrades burn, even as their eyes had smarted with the smoke of the fire in the basement of the high school. CHAPTER VIII LANKY’S PRIDE CONQUERS Professor Parke asked the young fire-fighters to stay a while, after he had given instructions that the rest of the students leave for home. As far as possible he wished to soothe the excited condition of the crowds that thronged around the building. And he also wished to personally thank each and every one of those brave lads who had done such splendid work in getting the fire under control. The firemen of the town took matters in hand, and saw to it that there was not the slightest chance of a stray spark being left undiscovered, to play havoc, perhaps at night time. They also wanted to investigate; for it seemed very queer how a blaze could originate in the cellar when no fires were going at the time. Some of the boys believed they could give a guess; and soon it was being circulated far and wide that Bill Klemm and his two cronies had been lighting matches in the basement at recess that very day, just to provoke old Soggy. But they seemed to have made themselves scarce. When Chief of Police Hogg, dressed in his resplendent uniform, with a silver star gleaming on his broad chest, called around at the several homes of the three suspected ones late that afternoon, to make inquiries, they were not to be found anywhere. And before long it was known that Bill, Asa and Watkins must have run away from home, afraid that they would be arrested. At any rate, they had been seen making fast time away, as soon as they got out of the building, and before it was known that the school could be saved. The principal started making inquiries on his own account, and after hearing what the janitor had to say, he could easily guess what had caused the fire. Of course the three boys to blame had not intended doing anything so terrible as to set fire to the school. They had broken a strict rule laid down by the head, however, and must be severely punished, when found.