I couldn't laugh because I was seared I'd drown in the smoke. The roar and erackling was getting louder, and Johnny shouted the next question. "Where's the kids?" "In the baek, I guess," I hollered, and we started stumbling through the ehurch. I should be scared, I thought with an odd detached feeling, but I'm not. The einders and embers began falling on us, stinging and smarting like ants. Suddenly, in the red glow and the haze, I remembered wondering what it was like in a burning ember, and I thought: Now I know, it's a red hell. Why aren't I scared? We pushed open the door to the back room and found four or five little kids, about eight years old or younger, huddled in a eorner. One was sereaming his head off, and Johnny yelled, "Shut up! We're goin' to get you out!" The kid looked surprised and quit hollering. I blinked myself— Johnny wasn't behaving at all like his old self. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the door was bloeked by flames, then pushed open the window and tossed out the nearest kid. I eaught one quiek look at his face; it was red marked from falling embers and sweat streaked, but he grinned at me. He wasn't scared either. That was the only time I ean think of when I saw him without that defeated, suspieious look in his eyes. He looked like he was having the time of his life. I picked up a kid, and he promptly bit me, but I leaned out, the window and dropped him as gently as I eould, being in a hurry like that. A erowd was there by that time. Dally was standing there, and when he saw me he screamed, "For Pete's sake, get outa there! That roofs gonna eave in any minute. Forget those blasted kids!" I didn't pay any attention, although pieees of the old roof were erashing down too close for comfort. I snatched up another kid, hoping he didn't bite, and dropped him without waiting to see if he landed okay or not. I was eoughing so hard I eould hardly stand up, and I wished I had time to take off Daily's jacket. It was hot. We dropped the last of the kids out as the front of the chureh started to crumble. Johnny shoved me toward the window. "Get out!" The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton 79