CHAPTER XIII
THE QUEER TRAMP
"What good will that do?" cried the chief. "Haven't I got troublesenough without you bothering me? This whole place is going up in smoke!"
"No it won't if you do as I say," insisted Jerry. "Have your men runthat hose down to our boat!"
"Have you got a force pump there?" demanded the chief halting in hisintention of shouting some new order through his trumpet.
"That's what we have, and a powerful one too," cried Jerry.
"Good!" exclaimed the chief. "Here boys! Run the line down to the motorboat!"
Wondering whether their chief had taken leave of his senses the menobeyed. A curious crowd gathered to see what was going on. Some evendeserted the bucket brigade lines.
"Don't leave my house to burn up!" cried the distracted owner.
"Do you think you can attach the hose to the engine?" asked Bob, as heran along beside Jerry.
"Not to the engine but to the pump; the auxiliary pump," said Jerry. "Iguess you forgot we have a regular force pump which is worked by theengine. Not the one that pumps up water to cool the cylinders, but theone in the stern that is intended for a hose to be attached to. It'sfor use in case the boat gets afire, or to wash it off when it's dirty.It's a fine pump, double acting, but we never had occasion to use it,and we haven't any hose for it. I measured the fire hose, and it willjust fit on the pump nozzle."
By this time the men dragging the hose were at the _Dartaway_. Theystared in wonder at the trim craft, for it was the first time many ofthem had ever seen a motor boat.
"Fasten the line on there!" cried Jerry showing the men where the pumpwas. "I'll start the engine!"
He threw out the gear, and started the motor, which, running free, soonattained a terrific speed. Then Jerry threw in the clutch connectingwith the pump. In an instant the machine began to suck up water fromthe river.
A few seconds later there came a shout from the other end of the hose,where some men were holding it ready to play a stream on the roof,which was now blazing furiously.
"By Hook! You've done the trick!" exclaimed the chief. "I didn't thinkyour little machine would force water so far."
The chief ran back to direct his men, while quite a crowd stayed towatch the motor boys in their unexpected role of firemen.
In a few minutes the firemen had the blaze under control. It had justbegun to eat through the shingles, but, so well did the volunteers playthe water on, and, thanks to the _Dartaway's_ pump, so much was thereof the fluid, that the fire soon got discouraged and, save for a fewlittle tongues of flame, it was out five minutes later.
The house was saved, but the barn was a total loss. Seeing that therewas no further need of a stream on the roof, the chief directed the mento play on the burning embers of the stable, which had collapsed into ahuge bon-fire.
"Well, I reckon I can call off my men now," said the chief some timelater, when there was only a little smoke to show where the barn hadstood. "I guess the danger's over. One of you men take a look upon thehouse roof to see there are no sparks left."
A volunteer fireman scrambled up and reported that the roof-fire wasout completely.
"Then we'll pull up and go home," went on the chief. "I'm sure we'remuch obliged to you boys. I don't know what we'd 'a done only for you."
"That's all right," spoke Jerry. "Glad we happened along in time to beof service."
The hose was uncoupled from the boat pump, and coiled on the reel,while the hand engine was dragged out into the road in preparation forbeing taken back to quarters.
The motor boys prepared to continue on their trip. Just as Jerry wasadjusting the engine in readiness to start off, a man came running downthe bank to the river.
"Hi; you boys!" he called.
"Well, what is it; more fire?" asked Ned.
"No, but Mr. Dudley wants to know if you won't come up and stay tosupper. He wants to thank you, and he's asked the other fire departmentalso."
"The other fire department, eh?" remarked Jerry in a low voice. "Theymust count us as one. Shall we go up, boys?"
"If you leave it to me I say yes every time," put in Bob.
"Oh we knew that," said Jerry. "What do you say, Ned?"
"Oh I could toy with a bit of food if it isn't too heavy," said Nedwith a smile.
"Tell Mr. Dudley we're much obliged to him, and we'll be right up,"said Jerry, and the man, who seemed to be a helper about the place, ranback to the house.
Mrs. Dudley and several of the servants had set a table in the bigdining room. The members of the volunteer fire department were standingawkwardly around discussing the events of the last few hours, and Mr.Dudley was going about from one to the other thanking them for whatthey had done.
"Here comes the real heroes of the day!" cried the fire chief as theboys entered. "They are the ones who jumped right into the breach andpulled us out of the hole."
"That's so!" cried Mr. Dudley, hurrying over and shaking hands with theboys. "I don't know your names yet," he went on, "but I'm a thousandtimes obliged to you."
Jerry introduced himself and his comrades, and soon every one was athis ease, the volunteers firing question after question at Bob, Ned andJerry as to how their "machine" worked.
"Now, never mind the fire, but sit down and eat," cried Mr. Dudley."I'm sure you're hungry and that you all deserve better than we havehere. You must make allowances for the meal. It was gotten ready in ahurry, and we're a little upset."
"I should think you would be," said the chief. "Good land, we ain't hadas much excitement as this, no sir, not in ten years."
The meal was a good one in spite of the adverse circumstances underwhich it was prepared, and the boys and every one else ate heartily.
During a lull in the serving of the victuals, the chief arose at hisplace.
"Members of the Towanda Fire Department," he said, "I have a motion tomake. I know this ain't a regular meeting, but I ask for a suspensionof the rules."
"Hurrah! You're all right! Go ahead chief! Make a dozen motions ifyou want to!" were some of the cries that greeted the head of thevolunteers.
"Then I move you that we elect these three boys, who helped us so wellto-day, honorary members of our department!" exclaimed the chief.
"Second the motion!" cried every member of the volunteers.
"I guess there's no use to take a vote on that proposition," the chiefwent on. "You're elected unanimously!"
"Thank you, very much," said Jerry, speaking for himself and his chums.
There was a cheer for the boys, and congratulations on every side. Mrs.Dudley came up, shook hands with the boys, and with tears in her eyesthanked them for their aid in saving her home.
"I don't know what I would have done if it had burned down," she said."I've lived here so long I don't believe I ever could live in a newplace. I must write and tell you boys' mothers what you did for me."
As soon as they could, the boys made an excuse for leaving. Shakinghands with their host and hostess, they went down to the motor boat,followed by about half the members of the fire department. Amid cheersfrom the men the boys started off.
"I guess we'd better cut out the trip to the park," said Jerry. "Howabout going straight home?"
"Suits me," came from Ned and Bob.
Accordingly, after the side lamps and the search lantern had beenlighted, the _Dartaway_ was swung down the river.
Suddenly from the gloom in front of them, there sounded a loud crash.Then a bumping noise, followed by confused shouts.
"Trouble of some kind!" exclaimed Jerry. He swung the search lamp inthe direction from which the noise had come. In the white blindingglare of the gas lamp the boys saw the outlines of a schooner,partially hidden behind some big black object.
"That's the _Bluebird_!" exclaimed Ned.
"And something has run into her!" cried Jerry. "I wonder what it is.Put us over that way, Ned."
Ned shifted the wheel. As the _Dartaway_ came nearer, and the blackobject was illumi
nated more by the search lamp, the boys could see thatit was a barge loaded with hay which had drifted upon the schooner.
"Help! Help! Save me! The schooner is sinking!" cried a voice from thedarkness.
"You'd better jump!" another voice answered. "I can't pull the bargeback!"
The boys were now near enough to see what was happening. The bargewas broadside on to the current. It was so big that the force of theriver was bearing it hard against the side of the schooner, which wascareening badly.
"Is there anyone on the barge?" called Jerry.
"Yes!" came back the answer. "Can you throw me a line and pull me back?I don't want to sink the vessel!"
"Stand by to catch!" cried Jerry.
He stood up in the bow and cast a line to a dark figure that ran out tothe end of the barge, nearest the motor boat. The man skillfully caughtthe line, and fastened it to a cleat.
Then, under Jerry's direction, Ned swung the _Dartaway_ about in a bigcircle, taking care not to foul the tow line. The rope was fastened tothe stern of the motor boat, and, when the latter was pointed up streamit tautened suddenly.
Ned put the engine at full speed, and slowly, very slowly, for theweight was considerable, the hay barge was pulled away from theschooner. The latter, relieved of the pressure, began to right.
"That's the stuff!" cried the man on the barge. He was in the fullglare of the search lamp, which Jerry had reversed to play on thebarge, and the boys saw that he was a tramp. His clothes hung in ragsabout him, and his face looked as if it had not felt a razor in months.
"Pull her up the river a way and tie her to the bank, if you will,"the tramp said, stepping out of the glare of the light suddenly. "Shedrifted down stream with me," he went on.
"Who does it belong to?" asked Jerry.
There was no answer. Then, all at once, there came a splash in thewater.
"Some one has fallen overboard!" cried Bob.
Jerry flashed the light down on the surface of the river. In the whiteglare the tramp could be seen striking out for shore. He was swimmingwell, and seemed in no need of assistance so Jerry did not stop thetowing of the barge to put over to him.
"Well of all the queer tramps he's the limit," said Bob. "He don't seemto mind getting a bath. Wonder how he came to fall in."
"He didn't fall in, he jumped," said Jerry. "There's something queerbehind this."