free of the belt loops, flopped him over, and fastened his wrists together behind his back with the belt. He dragged Swegner well away from the house and just as he stood, Mrs. Swegner came at him with his fireman's axe. He ducked and the axe whistled over his head. She recovered and was about to swing the axe again, when the fireman shot a left jab into her face.
She dropped the axe and stood there stunned. The fireman studied her as if composing a snapshot, then wound up and hit her in the cheek with a roundhouse right that sent her flying. She landed six feet away.
The watching crowd erupted at this and started yelling at him for abusing these poor people whose house was burning down. The fireman turned facing the crowd. His deliberate stare quieted them. Then he started dancing around and bobbing his fists back and forth like a boxer warming up, gesturing for someone, anyone, or everybody all together, to mix it up with him. No one took the bait, so the fireman picked up his axe and charged at the people, yelling for them to get the hell away and let him do his work.
Janey suddenly remembered that she was a witness and might have to go down to the police station and answer questions. She got up keeping the pistol behind her and sidled around her mother and into the house. She dashed into her parent's bedroom, found the box of bullets in her Dad's sock drawer.
SMITH - JANIE AND SPOT
15