Somewhat puzzled over the words of the tramp, and vainly seeking a meaning for them, Bert turned to join his companions, who were hauling the engine away.
"Who was that fellow?" asked Vincent, who had noticed the man talking to his chum.
"Oh, a friend I once helped out of a difficulty," was the answer, and Bert smiled, as he described the brook1 as a "difficulty."
"What'd he want; more help?"
"No; he came to thank me. But, come on, let's hustle2 and get back to quarters. Wasn't it queer old Sagger's place should catch fire?"
"Yes. It serves him right, though, for all the mean things he's said about us."
"He's pretty mean, but I'm sorry his butcher shop is ruined."
"Oh, he's got money enough to build another."
The boys discussed the various scenes at the fire at some length, finally reaching Cole's barn, where the engine, after being cleaned and put in readiness for another alarm, was backed into place.
"I wonder if the town will take any action toward having a regular department now?" asked Vincent, as he and Bert walked toward their homes.
"They might. Sagger will make a big fuss over his loss, and, as he hopes to be the next mayor, he may start a movement. But I'm just as well satisfied to have the department the way it is, for a while. Of course, if the town took hold we could get another engine, and maybe a better alarm system. Constable3 Stickler4 can't always be depended on."
"Still, he's done pretty good."
"That's right. Well, so long, Vincent. See you to-morrow," and Bert turned down his street.
"So long," replied his chum. "Hope we don't get another alarm in to- night."
"I wonder who in this place can want a stenographer6 and typewriter?" again thought Herbert, as he went into the house. "I wish that tramp had told me. I meant to ask him his name, but I forgot all about it. Never mind, I may see him again."
There was considerable talk in Lakeville the day following the fire in the butcher shop. Most of it was done by Mr. Sagger himself, and the burden of his cry was that the town must have a regular department, with a big engine. It was pointed7 out to him that, without a water supply, a steam fire engine was out of the question, and then he said they ought to have another hand engine and some men to run both machines. He spoke8 of calling a meeting of the Selectmen to consider the matter, but nothing came of it. Probably Mr. Sagger figured up what it would cost, and feared his taxes would be too high. At any rate, nothing was done, though every time he mentioned the fire in his shop the butcher declared there ought to be a regular department. He never said anything about the hundred dollars he had offered for saving his shop.
Considering that the boys had worked hard at the Sagger blaze, Bert had no drills for a week. Then they were resumed again, and furnished plenty of exercise for the young firemen. But, about two weeks after the butcher shop fire, there came another which gave them almost more practice than they wanted.
It was shortly after midnight when the alarm came in, for Constable Stickler was an efficient guardian9, in spite of his age, and on one of his trips to the church tower he had seen a flicker10 of flame off to the west. An instant later he was ringing the bell-four short, sharp, quick strokes.
The boys sleeping in the barn heard them, and so did the boys in their beds at home. They jumped up and, in quick time, the engine had been run out. It was Bert's night on "barn-watch," as it was called, and he and his chums hurried to such good effect that before the alarm had been rung four times they were pulling the engine from the barn.
"Whew! There's quite a wind!" exclaimed Bert as they got outside. "A fire to-night is liable to be a bad one."
"Hark! What's that?" inquired Cole.
The boys heard a distant shouting.
"The bucket brigade is turning out," spoke Tom Donnell.
"No. It's some one yelling about the fire!"
There came a shift in the wind, and to the ears of the boys was borne this cry:
"The lumber11 yard's on fire! Hurry!"
"The lumber yard!" exclaimed Captain Bert. "If that gets going we can't do anything to stop it!"
"We've got to try," declared Cole.
"Of course," answered Bert, as if any one doubted it. "Come on!"
They increased their pace, and as they neared the end of the long street, they were joined by several of their comrades, who had rushed from their houses half-dressed.
"Where's the fire?" called Bob Fenton, who was hardly awake yet.
"Bergman's lumber yard, I heard some one yell," answered Bert. "And this wind blowing right across the lake toward it!"
The lumber yard of Perrett Bergman was located on the edge of the lake, where boats could easily unload their cargo12 of timber. It was quite a large yard, and was one of the principal industries of Lakeville. As Bert had said, the wind was blowing right across the lake. The breeze was a stiff one, and if it was sending the flames in among the pile of dried and seasoned boards the fire was likely to be a furious one.
But the boys did not falter13. They dragged their rumbling14 engine as fast as they could, the bell clanging loudly as Cole pulled the cord attached to it. The little company was constantly being increased in numbers. Many of the young firemen, however, had proceeded directly to the scene of the conflagration15.
The lurid16 light in the sky seemed to grow brighter, and there was a thick pall17 of smoke visible now.
"It's getting worse!" cried Cole.
"You don't expect it's going to put itself out, do you?" asked Frank Burton. "Wait till we get there!"
A little later they turned into the street leading to the lumber yard. As they did so the blaze shone full in their faces, and they saw where the fire had originated. One of the big lumber barges19 that plied5 on the lake was on fire at the dock, and the flames were blowing right toward the heart of the yard, with its piles of timber.
"We've got our work cut out for us!" cried Bert.
"We'll have plenty of water, anyhow," shouted back Cole. "My force pump can be used, too!"
"He'd say something about his force pump if we had a steam fire engine," murmured Vincent.
"Run her right down, boys," called Bert. "Get as close to the water as you can!"
The boys picked their way through the piles of lumber. Already several members of the town bucket brigade were on hand, and they were standing20 in the shallow part of the lake, dipping up water in their pails and dashing the fluid on the blazing barge18. "Volunteers this way!" sung out Bert, and several of his chums, who were already on hand and waiting, hastened to join their comrades.
But now a new problem was presented. The flames, eating their way among the dry lumber on the barge, had assumed a fierceness that made it impossible to run the engine down on the dock. In fact, the pier21 was already ablaze22 in places. Great glowing embers were being carried by the wind into the middle of the yard, but this danger had been seen, and several men were putting out the big sparks as fast as they fell.
But there was every chance that several tiers of lumber near the wharf23 would ignite from the flames sweeping24 from the barge. If one or two piles caught, the whole yard would go.
"What are we going to do?" cried Vincent to the young captain. "We can't get out engine down there!"
Bert was puzzled. It was a new problem for the amateur fireman, and he hardly knew what to do. But to get close enough to the blaze to use the engine and at the same time have a supply of water, was not an easy thing to work out.
Just then the burning barge swung down the lake, for the cables had been eaten through by the flames, and the wind was carrying it away. The sight of that gave Bert an inspiration.
"Come on!" he cried. "I see a way!"
"How?" asked Cole.
"We'll run the engine out on that empty flat-boat. We can pole it out into the lake, and play on the barge from the side where there are no flames! Lively, now, boys!"
They saw his meaning at once. There were plenty of boards at hand to make a runway for the engine, and in a little while it was on the flatboat. Then, with long poles which reached to the bottom of the lake, the boat was shoved out from shore.
"The barge is adrift!" cried Tom Donnell.
"Then we've got to go after it!" responded Bert. "We can make a line fast and tow it away, or it will set the other barges below here on fire, and we'll have more than we can handle. If we can keep the blaze to the one barge we'll be all right"
It was hard work, but the boys accomplished25 it. They put their flatboat close to the side of the blazing craft, where there were no flames, and made fast. Then they poled both boats well out into the lake.
"The dock is burning!" cried Cole.
"Let the bucket brigade attend to that," answered Herbert. "We've got our hands full here!"
Indeed they had, but the contest was more even now. The boys, using buckets with ropes attached, dipped from the lake the water which they poured into the engine, tank, and then the three streams were turned on the burning barge.
收听单词发音 |
1
brook
|
|
| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
hustle
|
|
| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
constable
|
|
| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
stickler
|
|
| n.坚持细节之人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
plied
|
|
| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
stenographer
|
|
| n.速记员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
guardian
|
|
| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
flicker
|
|
| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
lumber
|
|
| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
cargo
|
|
| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
falter
|
|
| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
rumbling
|
|
| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
conflagration
|
|
| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
lurid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
pall
|
|
| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
barge
|
|
| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
barges
|
|
| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
pier
|
|
| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
ablaze
|
|
| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
wharf
|
|
| n.码头，停泊处 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |