
    ,,*APT] ,,XII

    ,,TOM ,,IS ,,L"O"S
  8,? IS C]TA9LY ! /RANGE/ SI<T ,I "E
SAW10 REM>K$ ,N$1 Z HE & 8 *UM FLEW NE>]
& NE>] 6! SMOK+ & BLAZ+ TREE4 8,IS ! _W
TURN+ UPSIDE D[N1 ,TOM1 :5 FIRES />T 9 ?
FA%ION80
  8,I FANCY X C EASILY 2 EXPLA9$10
ANSW]$ ! "Y 9V5TOR4 8,WE'LL G 96T LAT]4
,"H1 ,N$1 GRAB HOLD ( T T9 C ON ! FLOOR
& TAKE \ ! SCREW PLUG40
  8,:AT'S ! IDEA80
  8,I WANT Y 6DROP X Z NE>LY Z Y C "R
96! MID/ (! TREE T'S ON FIRE40
  8,OH1 ,I GET YR DRIFT6 ,WELL1 Y C C.T
ON ME40
  ,N$ PICK$ UP F ! FLOOR ( _! AEROPLANE
A METAL C SIMIL> 6^? ,TOM US$ 6HOLD OIL
OR P]H SP>E GASOL9E :5 HE 0 EXP]I;T+ ON
AIR%IP SPE$4 ,! OP5+ 0 CLOS$ )A SCREW
PLUG1 ) W+S 6AF=D AN EASI] GRIP4 ,Z ,N$
UNSCREW$ ? 8 NO/RILS 7 GREET$ 0AN ODOR T
MADE HM GASP4
  8,DON'T M9D A LL ?+ L T10 CRI$ ,TOM4
8,DROP X D[N1 ,N$6 ,DROP X D[N6 ,WE'RE
GO+ 6BE "R OV] ! TREE 9 ANO!R SECOND OR
TWO60
  ,N$ L1N$ OV] ! SIDE (! CRAFT & _H A GD
VIEW (! /RANGE SI<T4 ,! TREE T 0 ON FIRE
0 A D1D OAK ( GRT SIZE1 DW>F+ ! O!R
TREES 9 ! GROVE 9 : X /OOD4 ,9 -MON )
O!R OAKS ? "O / RETA9$ _M ( XS DRI$
L1VES1 ?\< X 0 DEVOID1 OR ALM DEVOID1 (
LIFE4 ,N$ NOTIC$ 9 ! BRAN*ES _M
IRREGUL>LY %AP$ OBJECTS1 & X APPE>$ 6BE
^! T 7 ON FIRE1 BLAZ+ FI]CELY4
  8,X LOOKS Z ?\< "S "O _H TI$ BUNDLES (
/ICKS 9 ! TREE & SET !M ON FIRE10 ,N$
?"\ Z HE POIS$ ! OP5$ T9 (! EVIL-SMELL+
-P.D ON ! $GE (! AEROPLANE'S COCKPIT4
  8,LET H] G1 ,N$60 CRI$ ,TOM4 8,Y'LL 2
TOO LATE 9 ANO!R SECOND60
  ,N$ RAIS$ HMF 9 8 S1T & ?REW1 R ?AN
LET FALL1 ! C /RAI<T =! BLAZ+ TREE4 ,L A
BOMB X %OT T[>D E>?1 & ,N$ & ,TOM1 LOOK+
D[N1 CD SEE X /RIKE A LIMB & BR1K OP51 !
RUPTURE (! C LETT+ LOOSE ! LIQUID 3TA9$
9 X4
  ,& !N1 2F ! EYES ( ,TOM & ,N$1 ! FIRE
SEEM$ 6DIE \ Z A PICTURE MELTS AWAY ON A
MOV+ PICTURE SCRE54 ,! SMOKE ROLL$ AWAY
9 A BALL-L CL\D1 &! FLAMES C1S$ 6CRACKLE
& RO>4
  8,WELL1 =! LOVE ( MOLASSES6 :AT
HAPP5$1 ,TOM80 CRI$ ,N$1 Z ! "Y 9V5TOR
GUID$ 8 CRAFT AB 9 A BIG CIRCLE 6-E BACK
AG OV] ! TREE4 ,HE WANT$ 6MAKE SURE T !
FIRE 0 \4
  ,X WAS6
  8,:AT S5T T BLAZE 6! HAPPY HUNT+
GR.DS80 ASK$ ,N$4
  8,MY NEW AERIAL EXT+UI%]10 ANSW]$
,TOM1 ) JU/IFIA# PRIDE 9 8 VOICE4 8,?
FIRE HAPP5$ 9 ! NICK ( "T = ME1 ,N$4 ,I
_H A T9 ( MY NEW -B9,N 9 ! C>1 N ) ANY
9T5;N ( US+ X1 ?\<4 ,I 9T5D$ 6P\R X 9 !
NEW 3TA9]S ,I AM HAV+ MADE 9 ,NEWM>KET
6SEE IF X WD CORRODE !M1 A ?+ ,I WI%
6AVOID4
  8,B :5 ,I SAW T TREE ON FIRE ,I CDN'T
RESI/ ! TEMPT,N 6USE MY V LATE/ -B9,N (
*EMICALS4 ,X IS S REC5T T ,I HAV5'T
ACTU,Y TRI$ X ON A BLAZE YET1 ?\< ,I _H
FIGUR$ \ 9 !ORY T X "\ 6"W4 ,& X DID1
,N$6 ,X "W$60
  8,WELL1 ,I %D SAY S60 AGRE$ 8 *UM4 8,T
BLAZE 0 D\S$ = FAIR4 ,! TE/ CD N H BE5
BETT]4 ,B :AT 9 ! "N (A VOLUNTE] FIRE
DE"P;T SET T TREE 6BLAZ+1 ,TOM80
  8,I'LL TELL Y 9 A MO;T4 ,I WANT 6MAKE
"S NOTES 2F ,I =GET4 ,T -B9,N SEEMS 6BE
J (! "R /R5G?4 ,X DID ! TRICK4 ,"H1 TAKE
! :EEL & HOLD H] /1DY :ILE ,I JOT D[N "S
MEMOR&A 2F !Y GET AWAY F ME40
  ,N$ 0 CAPA# ( MANAG+ AN AIR%IP1
ESPECI,Y "U ,TOM'S WAT*;L EYE1 & Z ?
CRAFT 0 "O ) DUAL 3TROLS "! 0 NO
DI6ICULTY 9 %IFT+ F "O /E]SMAN 6! O!R4
  ,S :ILE ,N$ GUID$1 N[ & !N GAZ+ D[N AT
! TREE F : "S SMOKE / >OSE1 ?\< ! FIRE 0
ALL \1 ,TOM MADE ! NEC SCI5TIFIC NOTES =
FUTURE AMPLIFIC,N4
8,& N[10 OBS]V$ ,N$1 Z 8 *UM RESUM$ !
:EEL1 8SUPPOSE Y 5LI<T5 ME ON H[ T TREE
CAME 6BE ON FIRE--IF Y DIDN'T SET X
YRF40
  8,NO1 ,I DIDN'T D T10 ,TOM SD1 )A
LAU<4 8,& ,I ONLY H A !ORY Z 6! CAUSE (!
BLAZE4 ,B SUPPOSE WE G D[N & TAKE A
LOOK4 ,"!'S A GD FIELD >.D ? GROVE1 & WE
C GET A F9E TAKE (F4 ,I'LL H 6G BACK
6,%OPTON ANYH[1 6GET "S M (! *EMICAL40
  ,S ! AEROPLANE MADE A L&+1 & !N !
MY/]Y 0 EXPLA9$4 ,! D1D OAK1 6: "S ( XS
LA/ YE>'S FOLIAGE / CLUNG1 0 ! ABID+
PLACE ( ?\S&S ( CR[S T _H BUILT _! NE/S
9 X4 ,"! 7 HUNDR$S (! BIG NE/S1 MADE (
DRI$ /ICKS1 MO/LY1 & ^! MADE AN ID1L
FUEL =! FIRE4
  8,B ": >E ! CR[S1 & :AT />T$ ! FIRE80
ASK$ ,N$4
  8,I FANCY ! BIRDS FLEW AWAY Z SOON Z
!Y SAW _! HOMES ON FIRE10 SD ,TOM4 8,OR
!Y MAY N H BE5 AT HOME4 ,FLOCKS ( CR[S
(T5 G 6"S 4TANT FE$+ GR.D =! "D1 RETURN+
AT NI<T4 ,I FANCY T IS :AT HAPP5$ "H4
  8,Z =! CAUSE (! BLAZE1 ,I 2LIEVE X 0
SET 0"S MIS*IEV\S BOYS1 :O SAW A GD *.E
6H "S FUN )\T ?"\ ( DO+ ANY R1L DAMAGE4
,=! D1D TREE 0 ( NO VALUE1 & ,I IMAG9E !
F>M]S WD 2 GLAD 6SEE ! FLOCK ( CR[S
4P]S$4 ,"S BOYS PROBABLY CLIMB$ UP & SET
FIRE 6"O (! NE/S1 & !N1 :5 !Y SAW ! :OLE
LOT GO+1 !Y 2CAME F"R5$ & RAN AWAY40
  ,& ,TOM'S !ORY WAS1 EV5TU,Y1 PROV$ 6BE
TRUE4 ,"S LADS1 W&]+ AFIELD1 _H SET FIRE
6! CR[S' NE/S & !N1 F"R5$ Z !Y SAW A
BI7] BLAZE ?AN !Y 9T5D$1 RAN AWAY4
  ,TOM & ,N$ DID N REMA9 6SEE :AT !
RETURN+ CR[S MI<T ?9K AB ! DE/RUC;N ( _!
HOMES1 PROVID$ !Y SAW FIT 6RETURN1 B1
/>T+ ! AEROPLANE1 7 AG ON _! WAY4
  ,TOM _H L+]$ L;G 5 6MAKE SURE T 8
LATE/ -B9,N ( *EMICALS _H BE5 J :AT 0
NE$$4 ,HE FELT SURE T 0US+ A L>G]
QUANT;Y1 NO FIRE1 H["E FI]CE1 CD 3T9UE
6BLAZE4
  8,B ,I WANT 6GIVE X A GD TRIAL1 ,N$1 Z
WE DID F ! T[]10 SD ,TOM4 8,?\< ,I DON'T
2LIEVE "!'LL 2 A FIZZLE ? "T40
  ,X DID N TAKE L;G = ,TOM 6SECURE ANO!R
SUPPLY (! NEW *EMICAL4 ,HE !N W5T ) X 6!
FIRM 9 ,NEWM>KET T 0 MAK+ 8 3TA9]S1 OR
8BOMBS0 Z HE CALL$ !M4
  ,ON 8 RETURN HE 3SULT$ ) ,MR4 ,BAXT] Z
6! 9GR$I5TS (! FLUID T _H PUT \ ! BLAZE
9 ! TREE4
  8,I 2LIEVE Y H AT LA/ HIT ON ! "R
-B9,N10 SD ! *EMI/4 8,Y >E ON ! ROAD
6SU3ESS1 ,TOM4 ,I WI% ,I CD SAY ! SAME (
MYF40
  8,P]H YR =MULAE MAY -E BACK 6Y Z
SU45LY Z !Y 4APPE>$1 OR Z QKLY Z ,I
4COV]$ T ,I _H ! "R ?+ 6PUT \ ! FIRE10
SD ,TOM HOPE;LLY4
  ,BUSY "DS FOLL[$ =! "Y 9V5TOR4 ,N[ T
HE 0 3V9C$ HE _H AT LA/ EVOLV$ ! "R
MIXTURE ( *EMICALS1 HE PREP>$ 6MAKE A
TE/ ON A L>G] SCALE ?AN M]ELY A BLAZ+
TREE4
  8,I'LL TRY X )A FIRE 9 ! PIT10 HE SD
6HIS *UM4
  ,PREP>,NS 7 MADE1 &! "D 2F ,TOM 0
6C>RY \ 8 PLANS HE RCVD A LR4

8,:AT'S ! MATT]8 ,BAD NEWS80 ASK$ ,N$1 Z
  HE SAW 8
FR'S FACE *ANGE AF R1D+ ! EPI/LE4

  8,NO?+ M*4 ,ONLY ,M>Y IS GO+ AWAY1 &
,I _H EXPECT$ H] 6BE AT ! TE/10 ,TOM
ANSW]$4
  8,GO+ AWAY80 E*O$ ,N$4 ,= L;G80
  8,OH1 NO1 ONLY =A C\PLE ( WEEKS4 ,%E
IS GO+ 6VISIT AN UNCLE & AUNT 9
,NEWM>KET1 OR J \TSIDE ( T C;Y4 ,ANO!R
UNCLE1 ,B>TON ,KEI?1 HAS (FICES 9 !
,L&M>K ,BUILD+1 ,I 2LIEVE40
  8,L&M>K ,BUILD+10 MURMUR$ ,N$4 8,ISN'T
T ": ,FIELD & ,MELL+ HANG \80
  8,YES4 ,B DON'T M5;N ,M>Y'S UNCLE 9
3NEC;N ) !M10 LAU<$ ,TOM4 8,HE WDN'T L
X40
  8,I %D SAY N60
  ,N$ WELL REMEMB]$ ,M>Y'S UNCLE1 :O _H
BE5 ASSOCIAT$ ) ,TOM 9 RECOV]+ ! TR1SURE
9 ! "USEA SE>*4
8,WELL1 IF %E C'T 2 "H1 %E C'T10 SD
,TOM1 Z PHILOSOPHIC,Y Z POSSI#4 8,I'D
BETT] RUN OV] & BID H] GDBYE40
  ,? ,TOM DID1 ?\< ,N$ NOTIC$ T 8 *UM
ACT$ Z ?\< L"O"S ON 8 RETURN4
  8,B :5 HE GETS 6"W TE/+ 8 NEW *EMICAL
HE'LL 2 ALL "R10 DECID$ ,N$4




