"My, you've got a big enough fire-fighting force, Tom!" cried
Ned in his chum's ear.
"Yes, I guess we can master it, if it hasn't gotten the best of
us. Say, it's going some, though!"
Tom pointed to where a shed, painted red--a sign of danger--
could be seen partly enveloped in smoke, amid the black clouds of
which shot out red tongues of flame.
"What have you got it painted red for?" Ned asked pantingly, as
they ran on.
"Because--" Tom began, but the rest of the sentence was lost in
a yell.
Tom had caught sight of Eradicate and the giant, Koku,
unreeling from a central standpipe a long line of hose.
"Don't take that!" Tom cried. "Don't use that hose! Drop it!"
"What's the matter? Is it rotten?" Ned wanted to know.
"No, but if they pull it out the water will be turned on
automatically."
"Well, isn't that what you want at a fire--water?" Ned
demanded.
"Not at this fire," was Tom's answer. "There's a lot of calcium
carbide in that red shed--that's why it's red--to warn the men of
danger. You know what happens when water gets on carbide--there's
an explosion, and there's enough carbide in that shed to send the
whole works sky high.
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