The High School Boys Training Hike | Page 5

a crotch in the tree a few feet above the ground.
Out he sprang, now, on a limb of the tree that most nearly overhung the load of hay.
That limb sagged under him---creaked---threatened to snap off under his weight.
But young Prescott, wholly heedless of his own safety, and with only one object in mind, scrambled out on the creaking limb as far as he could; then, with a prayer on his lips, he made a wild, strenuous leap.
Sub-master Luce turned white as he saw what Dick had attempted to do. Had he been made of more timorous stuff the high school teacher would have closed his eyes for that awful instant.
As it was, John Luce saw young Prescott land at the rear end of the load.
Dick felt himself slipping. For one frenzied second, he feared that he had failed. Young Strongheart that he was, he braced all his muscles for the supreme effort---and drew himself up to safer footing on the hay.
Then, like an eagle, he swooped down upon the children. The little girl he snatched from her tiny brother's clasp.
"Here!" called Sub-master Luce from the further side.
Brief as the time was Dick Prescott calculated the distance like lightning. There was no time to call back to Mr. Lucen---nor need to do so.
Aiming with all the precision at his command, Dick threw the child from him.
His aim splendidly true, he had the joy of seeing the child land in Mr. Luce's arms.
Without a moment's loss of time Prescott now snatched up the shrieking boy.
"Ready!" shouted Dick, and a second little body was thrown through the air.
Again did John Luce do credit to his college baseball training, for, hurriedly placing the girl baby on the ground he put up his hands to receive the boy.
"Jump yourself, Prescott!" bawled the submaster hoarsely.
But Dick was already in the air. With the flames shooting up and seeming fairly to lick his face, Dick had had no time to calculate his jump.
On the ground, some feet beyond the wagon, Prescott landed, sprawling on all fours.
He leaped up, however, his face twitching yet with a laugh on his lips.
Behind him the whole load of hay now flared up, crackling and hissing.
"Hurry back out of the heat!" yelled John Luce, leaping forward, seizing young Prescott and dragging him several yards away.
Dick turned in time to see the whole glowing mass cave in.
Had he arrived on the scene a few seconds later than he did both children would have perished miserably.
Now, from the house came a white-faced man, running as though some demon animated him. Behind him came a woman even paler.
Toward father and mother ran the pair of little tots, wholly unmindful of their rescuers.
As for the older, match-burning boy, that youngster half scared to death, had dashed away into hiding to escape the wrath that he knew must soon seek him.
"That was simply magnificent, Prescott!" said the sub-master enthusiastically. "But I honestly believed that it would be your last good deed."
While the sub-master spoke he was running both hands up and down over the high school boy's clothing, putting out many glowing sparks that had found lodgment in the cloth.
"It was easy," smiled Dick. "Thank goodness I saw the trouble in time!"
"There are others who are thankful that you saw it in time," uttered John Luce, as he looked toward the parents, now coming up as fast as they could, each with a child clasped in arms.
From the road went up a loud cheer. The trolley car had been halted and backed down to the scene. Though there were few people on the car, they made up amply in enthusiasm for their lack of numbers.
As for the farmer and his wife, though they tried to thank Dick and Mr. Luce, they were too completely overcome with emotion to express themselves intelligibly.
The wagon that had held the hay was now blazing fiercely. As for the hay, that had already burned to a fine powder.
"How---how did you ever get here in time?" cried the rejoicing mother brokenly.
It was the conductor of the trolley car, just reaching the spot, who told how Dick Prescott and Mr. Luce had leaped from the moving car. The sub-master described Dick's feat in climbing the apple tree and leaping from the limb of the tree to the top of the loaded hay wagon.
"It was a nervy thing for any man to do!" choked the farmer, tears of joy running down his cheeks.
"It was just like Dick Prescott," replied John Luce simply.
As soon as possible Dick and the sub-master made their escape from the earnest protestations of gratitude of the farmer and his wife, though they did not go until Mr. Luce had persuaded the parents not to whip the mischievous match-burner, but to content themselves with pointing out to the little rascal the dreadful