New people kept arriving every few minutes; while a few went away again to attend to the urgent business of getting in their late crops.
The four scouts remained in a bunch, talking matters over, and trying to recover a little from their tremendous exertions before returning to the camp.
"Thay, how d'ye thuppothe the old thing got thtarted?" Ted asked, with the natural curiosity of a boy.
"That's so," echoed Landy. "It must have been an accident don't you think, Elmer?" for even in such a matter as this they seemed to turn to the patrol leader for information.
"I'm sure I can't say, fellows," replied Elmer. "At this time in the morning the hands on a farm are out in the fields, and the women washing up the breakfast things. Perhaps they've got a gasoline stove here, and somebody was careless. It happens now and then."
"But here comes Mr. Brady over this way; he may know what started the old blaze," remarked Ty.
"Looks kind of smiling," ventured Landy; "which I take it is some singular for a gentleman whose house has pretty near gone up in smoke. Tell you what, I know why he's heading this way, fellows."
"Then thay it right out, Landy," remarked Ted, who had noted how the fat boy looked toward Ty and grinned.
"He's coming with a handful of thanks for our brave chum here, on account of how he saved the little Brady girl's darling baby, Bennie," said Landy.
"Huh!" snorted Ty, "I did my best, anyhow, and that's all any fellow c'n do. How was I to know it was only a silly little purp, and not a real human being? Didn't she call it the baby? Laugh all you want, Landy; but all I c'n say is that I reckon anyone of you fellers would have done just as bad."
"And that's as fine a compliment as you could pay us, Ty!" declared Elmer, heartily. "As for me, I want to say right here and now that I'm proud of the way you went into that burning house, thinking that a poor little baby was in danger. In my mind it's just as if you had done what you meant to; and I'm glad to own you as a chum. Never mind if some fellows try to have a little fun out of it; they don't mean anything by it. But here's Mr. Brady."
The farmer was a heavy-set man in the prime of life. He, too, had worked hard in the effort to save his house; but despite his anxiety and fatigue, he approached the four scouts with kindling eyes and an outstretched hand.