
In the dead of night, a flickering room of alarms, flashing lights, and a mysterious voice pulls a young man from his ordinary life into the heart of the city’s fire station. Dressed in a fireman’s uniform but not an officer, he is summoned by the chief for a reason only he seems to understand—a warning that a dangerous arsonist is on the move. The strange, almost supernatural signals that awaken him hint at a hidden talent for noticing details others miss.
Now racing through shadow‑laden streets, he and the fire chief chase the trail of a “firebug” who has already torched schools, a recreation center, and a bathhouse, leaving no trace of his identity. Their first assignment leads them to a blazing tenement in the poorest part of town, where the flames already draw a frantic crowd. As the engine screeches to a halt, the young helper must decide how far he’ll go to stop a criminal who revels in destruction.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (237K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2013-05-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1878–1959
Best known for fast-moving mysteries and adventures for younger readers, this prolific American writer turned out dozens of stories filled with treasure hunts, danger, and resourceful young heroes. His books helped shape early 20th-century juvenile series fiction and are still enjoyed today through many public-domain editions.
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