The Young Firemen of Lakeville; Or, Herbert Dare's Pluck

the upper part of the barn. The flames, eating up and along t

en doors, was burned through, the burning hay and straw began fal

e men had led the horses, wheeled out the mowing mach

and more of the hay and straw fell, there gradually grew a pile of blazing hot ember

do?" asked Vincent, hi

would have been possible for most lads. But Herbert Dare was unu

are safe now," s

them to show that they

there," d

here an

ground and that's too much of a jump. Besides, we

he big doors and take our chances

nute," adv

through the doors. They would fall into a mass of burning straw, which would scar them t

bered reading about a man who once escape

Vincent. There were several scattered ab

Vincent. At the same tim

ter," was the

a pump, at which were filled the pails to water the horses

g wet. But the wool had absorbed most of the water,

ied Herbert, passing the wet blanket to h

will y

pump some more water. You j

to the boys to hasten, as the roof was about to fall in. There wer

p the blanket about his body, and fairly shoving him toward the only av

f the flames could

! Come on! The

osely about him, leaving only a small opening near his face

the bottom of which was a little water. T

, he began to work the pump-handle. To his horror no water came. The fire had eaten down into the cow stable, and melted the pipe th

on! Jump!" he he

is blanket It

'll be scorched, I'm afraid, but

places under his feet. The cataract of fire was now fiercer than ever over the opening of t

. His nose and mouth seemed full of cinders. He felt himself falling down, down, down. He tried to keep himself upright, that he might land on his feet, but, in spite of himself, he felt that he was turni

to be smothering in a mass of black cinders that rose up

forward. An instant later his blanket was unwrapped from his hea

t's afire!" some one

he burning mass o

eat crash, and the roof

s arose, and there was

to die down, for there

fee

nt, coming up to Bert, and grasping hi

leave it out to hold the edges of t

et through from the blan

et out of this. I'm standing in mud up to my knees. Why, the pi

of throwing it against the sides of the barn, where it wasn't doing any good. So they d

at to you

to you, so we're even. But

sted there, to which had been added many gallons of fl

o save it had now ceased. Nothing more could be done, and, as all the cattle and horses had been saved, as

ow," said the constabl

mso

t I knowed I woke up, an' see th' blaz

lied the constable. "He

after the bu

what y

the good it did," remarked Cole Bishop, who had recovered his usu

ised the constable. "First th

some of us boys, there'd be a bigger

t and Vincent saved me several hundre

f 'em

an gelding is scratched on the fore quarter. But, land!

asked Mr. Peter Appelby, who lived next to the ma

insurance. I'm glad

such a fierce fire. I sure thought them two boys would be

Mr. Stimson. "It's be

ght have b

t's

neighbors, who agreed to keep them until Mr. Stimson could build a temporary barn. Then, as the

re department," said Bert, as

d Cole. "I got a hose rigged up on it, an' if our

we need here is a regular pumping engine, and some lines of

for a fire department," said Bert. "I remember once, years ago, wh

n, anyhow," added Cole

July cel

ht," agreed

sed on all sides, and when Bert appeared in the streets, with one hand bandaged up, where it had been

gade could have got there quicker, we could have saved the barn," said Moses Sag

uld never have put out

"There wasn't

out the fire at Sim Rockford's,

it to keep the hens warm so's they'd lay more. That wasn't much of a blaz

Lakeville," declared the butcher. "What's th

can't handle a big fire. We need a re

ess not much!" exclaimed Mr. Sagger. "I pay too h

, as he walked off. "He's too miserly to want to pay a few dollars extra each y

arer than Mr. A