hey began to haul the engine rapidly in the direction of

veral of the bucket brigade. "We m

pt it. Other villagers did likewise, and soon there

onnell. "Don't let those fellows of

at-'em-by-squirting-m

s-go-a little slower-I

th, for the long tramp fro

"We can pull you. We'll make you engineer, a

with a shout and cheer, the boys were off faster than before, for Cole had been

any voices, taking up t

e members of the bucket brigad

John Boll of Bert, as he raced alongsid

's place, and we can form a line of bucke

d a small barn. The latter building was not large enough to

tickler could be heard yelling.

ming!" re

that?" cried the constable, a

e Department!" res

interferin' with the bucket brigade. I won't have it. Th

can't put out any fires," was the retort from

artment how to operate the engine, imparted this information to their chums. So, though the

"That bucket brigade will have it in for us, and they can han

ay was. The flames had mostly enveloped it, and Mr. Kimball and his two

tops I'll unreel the hose and Cole will call for some fellows to jump up and work the handles. Don't have any disp

st work and probably the least spectacular was passing the water. Bert deliberately selected this, as he knew putting out the fire depended e

called Mr. Sagger, who acted

" cried Bert, in opposition. "

rected Mr. Sagge

ve them in charge of Tom and John. Cole was busy oiling the brake bearings and calling for ten boys to assist hi

the engine in place, the boys at the handles could

as near full as you

dles, with a "clank-clank." The flattened lines of hose filled out as the water squirted through them, and an

e water struck the hot embers,

ried Bert, from his p

it out in a

er!" cried Mr. Sagger.

man at the latter line was kept busy tossing gallon after gallon of water on the fire. But his was slow work compared with that of ev

ove the ground, whereas most of the fire was near the top. But the hose lines could be aimed to

save at one place, and this was opposite the line formed by the bucket brigade. The young firem

as he saw that in spite of the good work of

ied Mr. Sagger to John and

d the owner of the hay. "You've been

nozzle Tom held, and

gg

r that!" cried the butcher

s later, with the aid from the other nozzle, the blaze was comparatively out. I

s place on top of the engine. "Ho

There ain't more than half my hay burned. If I'd w

'd have had it out in five minutes, if

en, who did not like the praise

e boys on the part of the members of the bucket brigade. But on unprejudiced observe

he four lanterns. All the boys were there save Bert, and he had remained near

ed the stream, over a hole that was quite deep. The bridge had no side rails, a

edge, and, an instant later, topple over into t

the man cried.

Caught the man b

out the head of the man, being swept under the bridge, and he swam rapidly toward it. An in

as soon as he was on the bank and could speak,

aid Bert. "It is shallow a short distance

y; "I'd have gone to the bottom an

ant gleam of the lanterns on the engine, Bert saw that the

you from?"

under that haystack, and I

there?" asked Be

. Maybe it was his pipe that set the fire. He ran off, and I stayed around to see you boys put out the fire. You did it

the man. No one else had been attracted to the scene, as eve

the man, despondently,

do y

living wages. So I decided to become a tramp. I wanted to get out doors, because my health is n

proposed Bert. "Come with me. I

I can return the favor. I'll go on now. If I stayed around here they might arrest me

handing the tramp a quarter. "You