"Maybe we should leave," Jack said in a panic. Hewanted to get out of San Francisco before the firesspread.
"We can't," said Annie. "We have to find our specialwriting for Morgan's library, something to lend.""Let's find it fast," said Jack.
He and Annie started walking through the rubble.
They stepped over piles of bricks, chunks of concrete,and broken glass.
They passed fallen lamps and twisted trolley-cartracks.
They saw houses leaning to one side and peoplehauling their things out to the street.
"We can't worry about our mission now," Anniesaid. "We have to help.""Help? How?" said Jack. He was so shaky, he didn'tthink he could be much help to anyone.
"What about them?" said Annie. She pointed tosome men frantically dragging bags out of a buildingand piling them into a horse-drawn wagon.
Annie ran over to the wagon. "What are youdoing?" she asked the men. "We're trying to get thesebank bags down to the harbor," said the wagondriver. "So a boat can take them out into the bay.""Why?" asked Jack.
"So we can save everyone's money from the fires!"the man said.
He pointed at the sky. The cloud of smoke wasgrowing bigger and blacker.
"Can we help?" asked Annie.
"We're done," said the driver. "You kids run hometo your parents. Then get out of the city."Jack wished he and Annie could ride with thedriver down to the bay and be safe from the fires, too.
But he could see the wagon didn't have room forthem.
"Good luck!" said Annie.
"Don't forget what I told you!" the driver said. Thenhe and his horses took off. The wagon turned onto themain street and disappeared over the hill.
"I wonder who we can help?" said Annie. Jack tooka deep breath.
"I don't know," he said. "Maybe I'll take somenotes."Jack pulled out his notebook. In wobblyhandwriting, he wrote:
28 29Bank money - wagons to bay, then to boat.
"Hey, what's the story?" a woman asked. Her voicesounded urgent.
Jack looked up.
A man and woman stood in front of them. Thewoman wore a long dress and carried a notebook. Theman wore a suit. He carried a big camera and a three-legged stand.
"What story?" said Annie.
"The story with the bank. My name's Betty. I'm areporter," said the woman.
"For television?" asked Annie.
"What's that?" said Betty.
"Never mind," said Jack. He whispered quickly toAnnie, "She's a newspaper reporter. TV hasn't beeninvented yet.""Oops," said Annie.
"So what's the story with the wagon that just leftthe bank?" Betty asked Jack and Annie.
Jack looked down at his notebook.
"They're going to save the money by taking it to thebay and putting it on a boat," he said.
"Good reporting work, sonny!" she said. "Get apicture of the bank, Fred."The photographer set his camera on the stand. Heput his head under a black curtain and took a picture.
"Got it," said Fred.
As the photographer packed up his equipment,Betty turned to Jack and Annie.
"Go home and get your parents, kids," she said.
"Fires are burning out of control.""We know," said Annie. "By the end of three days,the fires will burn down nearly all of San Francisco."Betty looked curious. "How do you know that?" sheasked.
"She's just guessing," Jack said quickly.
"Pretty gloomy guess," said Betty. "Tell your folksnot to catch the ferry. Thousands are crowding intothe ferry building. Go to Golden Gate Park.""Thanks for the tip," said Annie.
"Thanks for the story," said Betty. Then she andFred hurried away.
Jack and Annie looked around.
Now many people seemed to be fleeing theirhomes. Some were going up the hill. Some were goingdown.
An old woman was pushing a wheelbarrow filledwith pots and pans. A girl was carrying a suitcase anda cat. A boy was carrying a birdcage and a fish bowl.
"They're all going in different directions," saidAnnie.
"I wonder where Golden Gate Park is," said Jack.
"Maybe we should go there. Let's see if there's a mapin our book."Jack looked in their research book. He found a mapof San Francisco.
"Where are we now?" he said.
As he looked for a street sign, he saw a mancarrying an armload of books out of a beautifulbuilding. The man put the books into the back of ahorse-drawn wagon.
"What's he doing?" asked Jack.
"I bet he's saving those books," said Annie.
"Saving books?" said Jack. He books. For a moment,Jack forgot his He forgot about trying to save himself.
"We'd better help," he said. "Come on!" |