Stella, Kit, and Carl poured a hot fusillade into the bushes, but did
not seem able to silence the fire from them.
Then Stella did a foolhardy thing. Without a word of warning she leaped
through the doorway, and stood on the step outside, looking after Ted.
She saw him running weakly toward the corner of the house, where two men
were bending over the tar barrel, into which they had put the shavings.
They had set fire to the shavings, and were lifting the barrel to place
it against the side of the house.
And now the barrel was blazing like a gasoline torch, and the flame was
licking the side of the house.
But Ted was upon them. They did not see him, as their backs were toward
him, and in a minute both had gone sprawling over the barrel, falling in
a heap on the ground.
In a flash Ted had sent the barrel rolling down the yard, and with a
piece of canvas, which he had picked up from the ground, was beating out
the flames which were creeping up the side of the house.
But the men were on their feet now, and, seeing the cause of their
discomfiture, they ran toward Ted with howls of rage, and reached his
side as Stella, who had started toward Ted when she saw that the men
were about to attack him, was still some distance off.
Ted was not aware of the presence of the men until they were directly
behind him.
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