CHAPTER XII
AN ALARM OF FIRE
An instant later the motor boys could hear a crashing of bushes andunderbrush that told them Noddy and Bill were in flight.
"Shall we take after them?" asked Bob.
"What's the use?" inquired Jerry. "We don't want to leave our boat.Besides, if we did catch them, which is doubtful, owing to thedarkness, what would we say?"
"We might ask them what they were talking about," said Bob.
The retreating footsteps of Bill and Noddy were becoming fainter andfainter. Now they ceased altogether.
"Well, I guess we may as well start for home," said Jerry. "We can'tgain anything by staying here."
It was rather late when the motor boys got home after locking up the_Dartaway_. They did not go out again until Friday afternoon when theystarted for a park resort up stream.
The _Dartaway_ was running to perfection, having been overhauled by theboys, the engine well oiled and some adjustments made. The motor was"finding itself" and was working more smoothly with every revolution.Obedient to helm and throttle the craft went spinning up the streamlike some big river horse.
As the boys in the boat swung around a sharp bend, the turn beinghidden by thick trees, they almost ran into a small schooner that wasbeating up against the wind.
"Look out!" cried Ned to Bob, who was steering.
Bob swung the wheel well around and started to reverse the engine, whenJerry sprang forward from the stern, where he had been sitting.
"Keep on, full speed ahead!" he called. "It's the only way to avoidhitting him!"
At the same time he moved the gasolene and sparking levers forward,and, as the _Dartaway_ leaped ahead under the quickening impulse, Jerrysteered to the left of the schooner.
His quick action saved a collision. As it was, the motor boat barelygrazed the side of the other craft, and then shot out into the middleof the stream.
"What's the matter with you fresh kids?" called a voice from theschooner, and the boys looked over to see a ragged man shaking his fistat them.
"I'll have the law on you!" the skipper went on. "You've got no rightto make a turn like that at full speed without blowing a whistle."
"I guess he's got us right," spoke Jerry in low tones. "It's our fault.Sailing vessels have the right of way."
The man appeared to be all alone on the craft for he remained at thewheel, and no one else came on deck.
"You'd ought to have kept a little more in shore," said Jerry."Unloaded vessels are supposed to at this point as it's deeper fartherout, and the loaded ones take that channel."
"I don't care a hang about the channel!" cried the man. "You nearly runme down, and you didn't blow any warning. If I catch you at it againI'll sink your tin-pan of a boat if I get a chance."
"You'll not get the chance!" fired back Ned, turning to look at theschooner which was disappearing around the bend. As he did so the boygave a cry of alarm.
"What's the matter?" asked Jerry.
"Look at the stern of that boat!" cried Ned.
Bob and Jerry looked. Under the overhanging ornamental work was thename:
BLUEBIRD
"Nothing remarkable about that," said Bob. "It could just as well havebeen redbird, or yellowbird or blackbird."
"I see what you mean," put in Jerry excitedly. "It may have been the'blue' thing that Bill Berry referred to when he quarreled with us."
"I'm sure it is," said Ned. "There's something queer going on alongthis river, and we'll find it out sooner or later."
They ran along for several miles, and were approaching a small villagecalled Westville, when, as they came around a bend that hid from sighta straight stretch of water which led past the town, they heard shoutsof excitement.
"I wonder what we've run into now," said Jerry.
"Looks like a fire," said Bob.
"It is a fire!" exclaimed Ned. "See, that barn upon the hill is allablaze!"
Looking to where he pointed Bob and Jerry saw the stable structure,near a handsome country residence was spouting flames. About it acrowd was gathered, and the boys could see men leading out horses andrunning out wagons, carriages and farm machinery.
"I wonder where the fire department is," said Jerry. "I heard they hada cracker-jack one here."
"There they come!" cried Ned pointing to where a crowd of men and boyscould be seen hurrying down a hill over which led the road into thevillage. In the midst of the throng was some sort of machine which wasbeing pulled by long ropes.
"It's an old hand engine!" cried Bob. "I thought they had a steamerhere."
"Come on; let's go up and see it work!" cried Jerry.
The motor boat was run close to the bank, and, having been tied to anoverhanging tree the boys raced up the slope toward the burning barn.
By this time the hand engine had arrived. It was one of theold-fashioned kind. Two long handles worked a pump mounted on a tank.Into this tank water had to be poured by pails, and from the bottom rantwo lines of hose connected to the pumps. The hose was carried on aseparate reel. In a few minutes the volunteer firemen, having gotten ineach other's way as many times as was possible, had the hose attached.One little man with a bald head and a fuzz of white whiskers on hischin was giving all sorts of orders.
Then two lines of men and boys were formed, each person with a bucketin hand, the files leading to a small brook which ran near the barn.From one to another the buckets were passed, going down empty on oneside and going along filled on the other. As fast as possible the pailswere emptied into the tank.
The men at the handles or "brakes" as they were called were pumpingaway for dear life, and soon a feeble stream came from one hose nozzle.
"Hurrah!" cried the crowd, and half a score of willing hands grabbedthe line and started toward the burning barn with it. A little later,the pump having gotten in its stride, so to speak, sent a stream fromthe other hose.
Again there was a shout of approval, and the two streams were soonplaying on the flames. But the fire had gained too much headway tosuccumb to anything short of the efforts of a regular department. Theblaze mounted higher and higher.
"The house is on fire! The house is on fire!" a score of voices yelled.
Sure enough, some sparks from the barn had fallen on the shingled roofof the residence and there were several tiny spurts of flame.
"Let the barn go, boys!" called the chief. "Let's save the house."
Willing hands dragged the clumsy machine nearer the residence while themen at the nozzles ran back, and prepared to squirt water on the roof.Once more the buckets passed along the line.
Clank! Clank! went the handles.
"What's the matter?" cried the chief. "There's no water coming from thehose!"
The nozzle-men had climbed up on two ladders which were hastily rearedagainst the side of the house. They turned the hose toward the spurtsof flame, but no water came. The trouble was the pump was not powerfulenough to force the fluid to so great a height.
"Pump! Pump!" cried the chief.
The men at the handles redoubled their efforts. For a minute or soa feeble stream trickled from the nozzles. Then, with a cough and awheeze the pump gave out. It had broken under the unusual pressure, notbeing in the best of repair at any time.
"What are we going to do?" cried the chief. "The house will go!"
"Form a chain gang!" cried the owner of the residence. "Have the menstand in line from the brook to the ladder and pass the buckets alongand up to the roof!"
"Good idea!" yelled the chief. "Hurry men!"
It was easy to plan but hard to put into operation. The buckets werefull when they left the hands of the men nearest the stream, but whenthey got to those on the roof there was barely a quarter pail-full ofthe fluid left, so much had spilled out.
The volunteer fire fighters did the best with what they had, but theflames were gaining on them. The roof was afire in a dozen places. Asfast as one spot was put out another would ignite.
Jerry ran to the dis
abled engine. He seemed to be examining the hose.Then he hurried back to the chief.
"How many feet of hose have you?" he asked of that excited official.
"About four hundred. But don't bother me! What good is hose when youhaven't a pump? Look out the way!"
"I'll tell you what good it is!" exclaimed Jerry. "Uncouple it fromthe engine and run it down to our boat!" and he pointed to where the_Dartaway_ was tied at the shore.