"Fire in the south wing," called back one man. "We don't know, yet,
whether the hotel is doomed."
Just then the fire alarm bell of the hotel began to sound loudly in all
the corridors.
That brought the remaining guests on the run, some appearing not
completely dressed.
As the rushing throng began to thicken at a door on the ground floor
the sound of a whistled of clanging gongs was heard without. The
Spruce Beach fire department was responding to the alarm.
Captain Jack bounded out. Hal kept close at his chum's heels while
Messrs. Farnum and Pollard came along less fleetly.
Through half a dozen windows on the second floor of the south wing
flames now leaped, while the smoke curled up in dense clouds. This
wing was built wholly of wood, and was doomed, even though the rest of
the hotel could be saved.
Jack halted, at last, Hal bumping into him.
Some of the firemen were hauling hose from a cart, while others were
attaching an end of one length to a fireplug. A hook and ladder truck
was hauled to the scene, its crew standing by ready at need.
Whish! Two four-inch streams struck the flames, yet seemed only to
feed them to greater fury.
"We can't put that blaze out, men!" roared the local fire chief.
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