"Where is it?" asked Bert, of Tom Donnell, whom he joined, almost as soon as he came out of the house.
"I don't know. I heard the four bells. Old Stickler1 is ringing yet. He didn't lose any time." "No, he didn't. Say, Vincent, do you know where it is?"
"I heard Simon Pierson say, as I ran past his house, a few minutes ago, that he thought it was the Stockton mansion2. He can see it from his third floor."
"The Stockton mansion! If that gets going we can't put that out with our little engine."
"Maybe it's only a small blaze."
"I hope so," replied Bert. "But come on. We must run faster than this."
They found quite a crowd of the young firemen at Cole's barn when they got there. Cole had jumped out of bed at the first signal from the bell, and had lighted the lamps on the engine.
"Run her out!" he cried, as Bert and his chums came in sight.
"No, wait a few minutes," directed the captain. "We will need a few more fellows to haul her up the hill, and there's no use going off short-handed.
"But the fire will get too much of a start."
"Can't help it. Might as well not go at all as to go with not enough to work the engine. The bucket brigade would only laugh at us then."
"There's some of 'em now!" exclaimed Cole.
Out in the village street could be heard the tramp of running feet, and a man's voice crying:
"Come on, bucket brigade! We'll beat the new department!"
"Why don't the fellows hurry!" exclaimed Cole. "We'll get left!"
"Here they are!" shouted Tom Donnell, as about ten lads rushed into the barn. They lived on the far side of town, and had come in a bunch to respond to the alarm.
"Grab the rope, boys!" cried Bert. "Don't let the bucket brigade beat us!"
The long double line was run off the reel, and a two-score of ready hands grasped it. Cole, as was his privilege, jumped on the engine to steer3, for he had rigged up a tiller wheel on it, since it had been in his barn, and this made it easier to pull, even with his added weight.
"Let her go!" he called, and with a rumble4 over the barn floor, the apparatus5 was hauled out, the bell on the engine clanging out a warning.
In the street in front of Cole's house, were several members of the bucket brigade, trying to catch up with the foremost men, who, under the leadership of Moses Sagger, were running toward the blaze.
These stragglers the young firemen shortly left behind, and soon they were almost up to the head of the line of the older fire-fighters.
"It's the Stockton mansion, all right!" cried Cole, as they got to the foot of the hill on which the big house stood. It could be plainly seen now, and flames were shooting from a side window.
"It hasn't got much of a start yet," shouted Bert. "Maybe we can put it out, boys, and save the house. Come on, for all you're worth!"
The lads needed no urging. They reached the burning house almost as soon as did the first contingent6 of the bucket brigade. Out in the yard was an old woman, wringing7 her hands, and crying:
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! We'll all be burned up! The house will be destroyed! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
"Where is a well or cistern8?" asked Bert, as he signalled his company to halt the engine.
"A cistern? Oh, dear! Here's one! But be careful you don't fall in. It's very deep. Oh, dear! This fire is terrible!"
The flames were gaining headway, but seemed to be only in one part of the house, on the east side.
"Run the engine close to the cistern," directed Bert. "Tom, you and John cut down the clothes line. Fasten some lengths to the buckets. We'll have to dip up the water from the cistern, and pour it into the engine tank. Vincent, you take charge here, and see to the buckets. Cole, get your fellows to the handles! Tom, you and Charlie Sanders take the nozzles! Lively now!"
His orders were promptly9 executed. In a short time several buckets had long pieces of rope attached to them, by which they could be dropped down into the cistern, when the cover was removed. They could then be pulled up full, and the fluid emptied into the tank.
The hose was unreeled, and with the nozzles in charge of Tom and Charlie, Bert hurried into the house.
"Show us the way to where the fire is," he said to the old housekeeper10.
"Right this way! Right this way!" she cried, hurrying into the side door of the house as fast as her tottering11 legs would carry her. "The fire's in an unused part of the mansion. It's near a chimney flue. Oh, dear! It's awful!"
Bert and his two chums followed her. Meanwhile, the bucket corps12 was rapidly dipping up water and filling the tank. The boys had not yet begun to work the handles, as Bert had arranged to give a signal, on a whistle he carried, when he wanted the water to begin to flow.
The tank was almost full, and Cole was beginning to wonder when the young captain would signal for the streams. The flames were becoming brighter and brighter, and were now shooting from windows on the side of the house, a big chimney, built up from outside, jutting13 out between the casements14.
"Here, you boys git away from here, and let us git some water!" cried Moses Sagger, as, followed by several men he pushed his way to the cistern. He had been searching all about the premises15 for a well which the bucket brigade might use, but had not been successful.
"We were here first, and we're going to stay!" declared Vincent.
"That's what!" added Cole. "Besides, you men can't dip up any water unless you put some ropes on your buckets."
"Where are the ropes?" asked the butcher, as he saw the truth of that statement.
"You'll have to find 'em, same as we did," replied Vincent, as he and his chums continued to dip and fill. But the clothes line was all cut up, and there was no more rope in sight, save that by which the engine was hauled.
"Take that rope," suggested one member of the bucket brigade.
"Don't you dare touch that!" cried Cole. "Reel it up, boys, and if they try to take it, douse16 'em with water."
"No, we haven't any right to take their rope," spoke17 a cooler-headed member of the men's fire department. "Come on to the lake, men. We've got enough men to make a long bucket line. There's plenty of water there."
Just then there came a blast from the whistle Bert carried.
"Pump!" yelled Cole. "Pump, boys!"
The lads, who had mounted to the top of the engine tank, began to work the handles with vigor18, the flat hose bulged19 out, and, from the sound of the pumps, the young firemen knew they were sending out two vigorous streams.
"Now, boys, lively!" cried Vincent. "Give 'em all the water they can use!"
Thus it became a good-natured race between the two divisions of the department, one trying to pump as much water as possible, and the other seeing to it that the tank did not become empty. Because of the closeness of the engine to the cistern, and the fact that there was plenty of water in it, the tank was kept more than half full all the while.
Meanwhile, the bucket brigade had been formed, and was passing water from the lake. But, as it had to go, hand by hand in the buckets, up a flight of stairs, very little of the fluid reached the blaze. The fire had been gaining headway. Bert and his two chums had entered a long hall with their hose, and they saw where the floor and woodwork, adjoining the chimney, were on fire.
"Douse her out, boys!" cried Bert, as he signalled for the water. A moment later two big streams spurted20 from the brass21 nozzles, and fell with a hiss22 on the leaping flames.
"I'll take a look around and see if it's breaking out anywhere else," said Herbert. "One stream is almost enough there."
He turned aside, and started to run down another hall, that was at right angles to the one where the fire was. Suddenly a man confronted him, and, even in the excitement, Bert knew him for the individual who had been in the motor boat that nearly ran the boys down.
"Where are you going?" the man asked.
"To look and see if there is a blaze anywhere else," replied Bert.
"Who are you?" inquired the man, who appeared very much excited, more so than the occasion called for, since, as yet, the fire was not beyond control.
"I'm captain of the Boys' Volunteer Fire Department," replied Bert. "Who are you?"
"I'm Mr. Muchmore. I'm in possession of this house, and you can't pass here!"
"But I only want to see if there's another place on fire. We have two lines of hose, and one is enough back there."
"I don't care! You can't pass here!"
Bert wondered at the man's mysterious action, but the boy had no right to dispute the peremptory23 orders.
"Put out that fire back there," went on Mr. Muchmore, motioning to where Bert had come from. "That is all there is in the house. And don't you dare pass into this hall."
"Very well," replied the young captain, quietly, as he returned to Tom and Charlie.
Just then he thought he saw a flicker24 of flame beyond where Muchmore was standing25. He started forward to investigate.
"Keep back, I tell you!" cried the man, and he thrust Bert to one side so violently that the young fireman hit the wall with considerable force.
"There's no need for you to do that!" Bert exclaimed, highly indignant. "I only want to help put out the fire!"
"You can't come in this hall!" declared the man, and then, before Bert could answer, he turned and ran along it at full speed.
"Well, he certainly acts queer," thought the boy, but, as a second look convinced him that there was no blaze in that part of the house, he returned to his chums.
In spite of their efforts the fire seemed to be gaining.
"See if they can't give us a bit more water!" cried Charlie.
Bert leaned out of a window, and whistled a signal that had been agreed upon, whenever more pressure was needed. The boys at the handles, who had lagged a bit, increased their strokes, and more water was available. A few seconds later Vincent, who had turned his supervision26 of the bucket corps over to John Boll, came into the smoke-filled hall.
"Can I help you, Bert?" he asked.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Mrs. Blarcum, the aged27 housekeeper, as she stood some distance back, out of the smoke. "There are some valuable paintings in that room, and they ought to be saved. Can you boys get them out?" and she pointed28 to the door of an apartment just back of where the two lads, with the hose nozzles, stood.
"Sure we will!" replied Vincent. "Come on, Bert. That will be easier than saving horses."
The flames seemed to be eating back, in spite of the efforts of the young firemen, and the aid given by the bucket brigade, which last was not much. They had run up ladders on the outside of the house, near where the flames were, and were throwing water on in that way.
"Why, the door's locked!" exclaimed Vincent, as he tried the knob. "Where's the key?"
"Locked!" repeated Mrs. Blarcum. "I didn't know that. The paintings will be burned, and Mr. Stockton was very fond of them. They cost a lot of money."
"We can break the door in!" cried Bert. "Come on, Vincent!"
The boys prepared to rush at the portal.
"Stop!" cried a ringing voice, and they looked up to see Muchmore hastening toward them. "Don't you dare go into that room!"
收听单词发音 |
1
stickler
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| n.坚持细节之人 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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13
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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douse
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| v.把…浸入水中，用水泼；n.泼洒 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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25
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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