“Yes, just as soon as—–­here, Billy, Arthur, take my place.  I must go up to the extension.”

One of the boys quickly took his place at the head of the bucket line, and he ran inside and up the stairs to the room indicated by Margaret, covering his mouth with his hand to keep from breathing smoke.

He found the door, burst it open, and saw a bed in a corner with a small child asleep.

Seizing the infant he wrapped it in the blankets, pressed it close to him, and rushed out and down stairs to the open air.

“Here you are!” he cried, and a nurse ran up to him, and took the baby from his arms.

“Oh, thank you, thank you a thousand times!” she cried hysterically.  “I do not know what I would do if the baby was lost.  I shall lose my place.”

“H’m! thinking more of herself than of the baby!” sputtered Percival, who had run to support Jack.  “Are you all right, old man?”

“Yes, but it was a close shave.  Look! the place is all in flames now.  It was lucky I went up there when I did.”

“You are very brave,” said Margaret, running up to him and seizing his hand.  “I do not know how to thank you.”

“Never mind trying, Miss Margaret,” said Jack simply.  “I am glad that I was able to do something.  How was the child overlooked?”

“Every one supposed that the nurse had attended to him.  She is always with him at night.  I suppose she was frightened and left him, and then at the last moment thought of him.”

The girl nearly fainted again in her excitement, and fell against Jack’s shoulder, Percival raising her and saying: 

“There, there, brace up.  It is all right, and Jack Sheldon has shown himself a hero as he has done many times before.”

“I shall never forget him!” exclaimed Margaret, and then her father and mother took her away, and the boys continued their work.

The fire company was getting down to business by this time, but if the Hilltop boys had not made a good beginning for them they could have done nothing.

The fire was, before long, under control, and, although considerable damage had been done, the house was saved.

The boys were presently marched back to the camp, and Jack and Percival sought their tent, tired out and excited.

“Hello! what is this?” exclaimed Jack, as he was undressing, seeing something drop out of his trousers pocket.

It was a lady’s gold watch.

CHAPTER VI

THE MYSTERY OF A GOLD WATCH

“What have you got there, Jack?” asked Percival, seeing Jack stoop and pick up something.

“A gold watch, a lady’s watch, apparently.  How did it get in my pocket?  I don’t remember picking it up.  It is a very handsome one, and quite expensive I should judge, although I never bought a gold watch.”

“And it dropped out of your pocket?”