Never had Lakeville been so stirred as when, a few days after the lumber1 yard fire, notices were posted in various parts of the town, stating that a special meeting of the Selectmen would be held to take action on an offer made by Mr. Bergman to equip a regular fire department for the place.
"So, that's what he meant!" remarked Bert, when he read the notices. "Well, I wonder where we'll be, if they have a regular department?"
"Oh, I suppose the bucket brigade will be taken in, and they'll run the whole thing," said Vincent, a little bitterly.
"If they do, we'll keep our old hand engine and run to blazes just the same," declared Cole.
"That's what we will," added Captain Bert.
The notices announced that the meeting would be a public one, and would be held in the town hall, over the post-office. Opportunity would be given for all interested to state their views, the notice added.
"Then we'll state ours," threatened Cole. "Bert, can't you go there and make a speech?"
"I suppose I can, if the boys want me to. But what shall I say?"
"Oh, wait until we get there and see how things look. But if they want to turn us down, you get up and protest. We'll stand by you."
"All right," agreed Bert. "I think we ought to have something to say."
"So do I," came from Tom Donnell. "Put it good and strong, Bert."
The night of the meeting found nearly every male resident of Lakeville present, and there were some women and girls in the audience. In the meanwhile, the members of the volunteer department had used Mr. Bergman's donation to pay off the small balance due on their engine, and had purchased their uniforms. They were quite natty2, consisting of blue trousers and red shirts, with helmets of the same fiery3 color, and belts with a large brass4 buckle5 in front.
The boys marched into the hall in a body, and took seats together.
"Oh, aren't they just too cute for anything!" exclaimed Nellie Travers to her chum, Jane Alton.
"They look quite business-like," commented Jane.
"Yes, but those uniforms are dear, aren't they?" "I don't know. I heard my brother Ned say they were quite cheap," went on Jane, who was something of a joker.
"Oh, Jane! You know I mean they're too sweet for anything! I just wish there'd be a fire alarm come in now, so I could see them run."
"I don't; I want to see what they're going to do at this meeting. Ned is worried for fear they'll break up the boys' department."
"That would be a shame."
"I think so, too. But, hush6! Mayor Appelby is going to speak."
The mayor, who had been elected chairman of the meeting, told the object of the gathering7. He said they had assembled to hear an offer that was to be made by their "distinguished8 fellow citizen, the Honorable Perrett Bergman." There were some cheers and applause at this, and Mr. Bergman arose.
"What I have to say will not take up much of your time," he began. "You all know we have had several fires lately, and that a number of lads of this village have constituted themselves a fire department. I need not point out what good work they have done. It speaks for itself.
"The recent blaze in my lumber yard has confirmed an impression I have had for some time, and that is, that we should have a regular department in this village. I think, with all due respect to it, that we have outgrown9 the bucket brigade!"
"That's right!" called some one from the rear of the hall.
"The bucket brigade did good work," asserted Moses Sagger.
"I know that," admitted Mr. Bergman, "but the village is growing. I do not hesitate to say that if it had not been for the boys' volunteer department I would be a much poorer man to-night than I am."
"Hurrah10 for the boys!" exclaimed a man, and there were hearty11 cheers.
"In brief, my offer is this," continued Mr. Bergman. "I am willing to buy a complete outfit12 for a fire department. I will furnish everything except the members of it, and I will even pay for having installed an electric alarm system, with pull boxes in various places. I will also equip a small fire headquarters. In view of the fact that we have no water system, I would suggest that chemical engines be used."
"That's right," came from Mayor Appelby.
"I now, then, offer to purchase two of the best chemical engines that can be bought," went on Mr. Bergman. "I think we will not need horses, as the engines are light, and half a dozen persons can haul them. With two of these machines, one on either side of the town, we can take care of almost any ordinary blaze, as the houses here are not so close together that we will have any great conflagration13. Now it remains14 for the town to act on my offer. Remember, I will furnish all the money needed for the engines, and to fit up a headquarters. All I ask the town to do is to supply the members and places in which to keep the engines."
"You have heard the very generous offer of our distinguished fellow townsman and public-spirited citizen, the Honorable Perrett Bergman," said Mayor Appelby, pompously15. "What have you to say?"
"I say take it!" exclaimed Moses Sagger, quickly. He saw a chance for a good fire department without any increase in the taxes.
"That's right! Accept the offer!" came from various parts of the hall.
"With thanks!" added a more thoughtful man.
"You seem to be of one mind," went on the mayor. "I shall now put the question to a vote."
"One moment, if you please," began Bert, rising to his feet. He was rather pale, for he was not used to speaking in public.
"What is it, Herbert?" asked Mr. Appelby. "Don't you favor this?"
"I most certainly do, and so do all the boys. All we want to know is, what will become of our department?"
"Oh, we won't need you boys when we get the chemical engines," said Mr. Sagger quickly. "The members of the bucket brigade will attend to them. You boys can give your old engine away if you want to."
"We'll do nothing of the kind!" exclaimed Bert. "We bought and paid for that engine, when there was no prospect16 of Lakeville having anything like a department. Now we have a good organization and---"
"Yes, and we can put out fires!" interrupted Cole. "My force pump---"
"Dry up!" exclaimed Vincent, pulling Cole by the coat-tails. "Let Bert do the talking."
"That's all right. I was going to tell them about my force pump," murmured Cole.
"They don't want to hear it. Listen."
"I think we ought at least be allowed to continue our organization, and be recognized by the town as a part of the fire department," went on Bert. "We don't ask to run your chemical engines, but we would like to keep our hand engine."
"No, we don't want it!" cried Mr. Sagger. "We have no use for you boys. The men can run things in this town, We'll merge17 the bucket brigade into a regular department."
"That's what we will!" came from some of the older members of that ancient organization. "Then we might as well go home, boys!" exclaimed Herbert, somewhat bitterly. "They have no use for us here."
"One moment!" exclaimed Mr. Bergman, rising in his seat.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I think some of you men are under a little misunderstanding," he went on. "My offer to buy two chemical engines was made because of the very efficient work the boys of this town did in putting out the fire in my lumber yard. I most certainly will not consent to thrusting the boys aside, now that we are about to have a regular department."
"Hurrah!" came from the irrepressible Cole. "My force pump---"
But his companions made him keep silent.
"I may say," went on Mr. Bergman, with a look at the boys, in their natty uniforms, "that my offer depends on one thing."
"What is that?" asked Mr. Appelby quickly.
"It is this: That the boys are to be in charge of the regular department, just as they now are of the volunteer one!"
"Hurrah!" cried Cole again, and his chums joined in with him. "My force---"
"Ain't the bucket brigade going to run things?" inquired Mr. Sagger.
"With all due respect to that organization, they are not!" replied Mr. Bergman loudly. "I will furnish the money for the engines only on the condition that the same boys, who did such good work at the fire in my place, continue in charge. The members of the bucket brigade may join if they wish, but the boys are the ones I want to see in control. They have proved what they can do, and I would recommend that Captain Herbert Dare be made the chief of the new department!"
"Whoop19!" shouted Cole, standing18 up, and waving his hat. "That's the stuff! Whoop! Hurrah!"
收听单词发音 |
1
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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natty
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| adj.整洁的，漂亮的 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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7
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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outgrown
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| 长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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merge
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| v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体 | |
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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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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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