"Fire! Fire!" cried a voice. "Der school ist being gonsumed by der fierce elements! Safe me, somebodies! I must get out my German flag! I must out get quvick, alretty yet!"
The anxious face of Professor Garlach appeared at one of the windows.
"Don't jump!" cried Jack, as the teacher seemed about to do so. "You've got time enough to come down the stairs."
"B-r-r-r-r! It's cold!" cried Nat Anderson, as some snow got inside the slippers he had put on, and some flakes sifted down his back.
"It will soon be warm enough," observed Jack. "The fire is gaining. Poor Washington Hall! It deserved a better fate than being burned down."
"Look!" cried Sam, who had paused in his run to go to the telephone. "There's Socrat."
The French professor had joined his German colleague at the window, and both were struggling to climb out of it.
"Stand aside, German brute zat you aire!" exclaimed the Frenchman. "I must save ze glorious flag of la belle France! Let me toss it out of ze window!"
"I vill nottings of der kind do alretty yet!" responded Professor Garlach. "I vos here firstest!"
"Zen you are no gentlemans!" was Professor Socrat's reply. "Bah! Sacre! Let me out, I demand of you! I am insult zat you should flout zat rag in my eyes!"
The wind had blown the German flag, which Professor Garlach held, into the face of the Frenchman.
"Rag! Hein! You call dot glorious flag a rag! Himmel! I vill of der mincemeat you make now!"
Professor Garlach made a grab for his enemy. To do so he lost his hold on his precious flag. It fluttered out of the window and to the ground.
"Save it! Save it!" he cried, leaning out. "My flag!"
With a quick movement the German snatched the French colors from the hand of Professor Socrat. An instant later that, too, was fluttering to the snow.
"Oh! la belle tri-color! It is insult! I moost have blood to satisfy my honaire!" shouted the Frenchman.
He made a lunge, and clasped Professor Garlach about the neck. The two struggled at the window. With a quick wit Jack grabbed the two flags, and, waving them, intertwined, above his head, he shouted:
"See, professors! A German-French alliance at last. Both flags are saved. They have not touched the ground. Now come on down and get them. Quick! The fire is gaining!"