第5章

TOM'S NEW IDEA

"What's the matter with him, Doctor?" asked Tom in a low voice of the young physician who had been working over the man."Do you think he is worse hurt than appears? Is he dying, and is his mind wandering?""I don't believe so," answered the doctor."At least I don't believe that he is dying, though his mind may be wandering.He isn't injured--at least not outwardly.Just temporarily overcome by smoke is what it looks like to me.But of course I haven't made a thorough examination.""Hadn't we better get him into the house, Doctor?" asked Mr.Nestor, who stood with Tom, Ned and a group of men and boys about the inert form of the man lying on the grass.The rescued one was again seemingly unconscious.

"The best medicine he can have is fresh air, the doctor replied."He's better off out here than in the house.Though if he doesn't revive presently I will send him to the hospital."The man did not appear to be so badly off but what he could hear, and at these words he opened his eyes again.

"I don't want to go to the hospital," he murmured."I'll be all right presently, and can go home, though--Oh, well, what's the use?" he asked wearily, as though he had given up some fight."I've lost everything.""Well, you've got a deal of life left in you yet; and that's more than you could say of some who have come out of smaller fires than this," said one of the firemen who, with Tom, had carried the man out of the shed."Come on, we'd better be getting back," he said to his companion."The worst of it is over, but there'll be plenty to do yet.""You said it!" commented the other grimly.

They went out of the Nestor yard, many of the crowd that had gathered during the rescue following.The doctor administered some more stimulant in the shape of aromatic spirits of ammonia to the man, who, after his momentary revival, had again lapsed into a state of stupor.

"Who is he?" asked Tom, as the physician knelt down beside the silentform.

"I don't know," said Mr.Nestor."I know quite a number connected with the fireworks factory, but this man is a stranger to me.""I've seen him going into the main offices several times," remarked Mary, who was standing beside Tom."He seemed to be one of the company officers.""I don't believe so, Mary," stated her father."I know most of the fireworks company officials, and I'm sure this man is not one of them.Poor fellow! He seems to be in a bad way.""Mentally, as well as physically," put in Ned."He acted as if sorry that we had saved his life.""Too bad," murmured Mary, and then a policeman, who had just come into the yard to get the facts for his report, looked at the figure lying on the grass, and said:

"I know him."

"You do?" cried Tom."Who is he?"

"Name's Baxter, Josephus Baxter.He's a chemist, and he works in the fireworks factory here.Not as one of the hands, but in the experiment laboratory.I've seen him there late at night lots of times.That's how I got acquainted with him.He was going in around two o'clock one morning, and I stopped him, thinking he was a thief.He proved his identity, and I've passed the time of day with him many a time since""Where does he live?" asked Mr.Nestor.

"Down on Clay Street," and the officer mentioned the number."He lives all alone, so he told me.He's some sort of an inventor, I guess.At least I judged so by his talk.Do you want an ambulance, Doctor?" he asked the physician.

"No, I think he's coming around all right," was the answer."If we had an auto we could send him home.""I'll take him in the runabout," eagerly offered Tom."But if he lives all alone will it be safe to leave him in his house?""He ought to be looked after, I suppose," the doctor stated."He'll be all right in a day or so if no complications set in, but he'll be weak for a while and need attention.""Then I'll take him home with me!" announced Tom."We have plenty of room, and Mrs.Baggert will feel right at home with some one to nurse.Bring the runabout here, will you please, Ned?"As Ned darted off to run up the machine, the man opened his eyes again.For a moment he did not seem to know where he was or what had happened.Then, as he saw the lurid light of the flames which were now dying away and realized his position, he sighed heavily and murmured:

"It's all over!"