CHAPTER XIV
A DANGEROUS BLAZE
Somewhat puzzled over the words of the tramp, and vainly seeking ameaning for them, Bert turned to join his companions, who were haulingthe engine away.
"Who was that fellow?" asked Vincent, who had noticed the man talkingto his chum.
"Oh, a friend I once helped out of a difficulty," was the answer, andBert smiled, as he described the brook as a "difficulty."
"What'd he want; more help?"
"No; he came to thank me. But, come on, let's hustle and get back toquarters. Wasn't it queer old Sagger's place should catch fire?"
"Yes. It serves him right, though, for all the mean things he's saidabout 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 cleanedand put in readiness for another alarm, was backed into place.
"I wonder if the town will take any action toward having a regulardepartment now?" asked Vincent, as he and Bert walked toward theirhomes.
"They might. Sagger will make a big fuss over his loss, and, as hehopes to be the next mayor, he may start a movement. But I'm just aswell satisfied to have the department the way it is, for a while. Ofcourse, if the town took hold we could get another engine, and maybe abetter alarm system. Constable Stickler can't always be depended on."
"Still, he's done pretty good."
"That's right. Well, so long, Vincent. See you to-morrow," and Bertturned down his street.
"So long," replied his chum. "Hope we don't get another alarm into-night."
"I wonder who in this place can want a stenographer and typewriter?"again thought Herbert, as he went into the house. "I wish that tramphad 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 inthe butcher shop. Most of it was done by Mr. Sagger himself, and theburden of his cry was that the town must have a regular department,with a big engine. It was pointed out to him that, without a watersupply, a steam fire engine was out of the question, and then he saidthey ought to have another hand engine and some men to run bothmachines. He spoke of calling a meeting of the Selectmen to considerthe matter, but nothing came of it. Probably Mr. Sagger figured upwhat it would cost, and feared his taxes would be too high. At anyrate, nothing was done, though every time he mentioned the fire in hisshop the butcher declared there ought to be a regular department. Henever said anything about the hundred dollars he had offered forsaving his shop.
Considering that the boys had worked hard at the Sagger blaze, Berthad no drills for a week. Then they were resumed again, and furnishedplenty of exercise for the young firemen. But, about two weeks afterthe butcher shop fire, there came another which gave them almost morepractice than they wanted.
It was shortly after midnight when the alarm came in, for ConstableStickler was an efficient guardian, in spite of his age, and on one ofhis trips to the church tower he had seen a flicker of flame off tothe 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 theirbeds at home. They jumped up and, in quick time, the engine had beenrun out. It was Bert's night on "barn-watch," as it was called, and heand his chums hurried to such good effect that before the alarm hadbeen rung four times they were pulling the engine from the barn.
"Whew! There's quite a wind!" exclaimed Bert as they got outside. "Afire 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 bornethis cry:
"The lumber yard's on fire! Hurry!"
"The lumber yard!" exclaimed Captain Bert. "If that gets going wecan'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 longstreet, they were joined by several of their comrades, who had rushedfrom 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. "Andthis wind blowing right across the lake toward it!"
The lumber yard of Perrett Bergman was located on the edge of thelake, where boats could easily unload their cargo of timber. It wasquite a large yard, and was one of the principal industries ofLakeville. As Bert had said, the wind was blowing right across thelake. The breeze was a stiff one, and if it was sending the flames inamong the pile of dried and seasoned boards the fire was likely to bea furious one.
But the boys did not falter. They dragged their rumbling engine asfast as they could, the bell clanging loudly as Cole pulled the cordattached to it. The little company was constantly being increased innumbers. Many of the young firemen, however, had proceeded directly tothe scene of the conflagration.
The lurid light in the sky seemed to grow brighter, and there was athick pall of smoke visible now.
"It's getting worse!" cried Cole.
"You don't expect it's going to put itself out, do you?" asked FrankBurton. "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 wherethe fire had originated. One of the big lumber barges that plied onthe lake was on fire at the dock, and the flames were blowing righttoward 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 forcepump can be used, too!"
"He'd say something about his force pump if we had a steam fireengine," murmured Vincent.
"Run her right down, boys," called Bert. "Get as close to the water asyou can!"
The boys picked their way through the piles of lumber. Already severalmembers of the town bucket brigade were on hand, and they werestanding in the shallow part of the lake, dipping up water in theirpails and dashing the fluid on the blazing barge. "Volunteers thisway!" sung out Bert, and several of his chums, who were already onhand and waiting, hastened to join their comrades.
But now a new problem was presented. The flames, eating their wayamong the dry lumber on the barge, had assumed a fierceness that madeit impossible to run the engine down on the dock. In fact, the pierwas already ablaze in places. Great glowing embers were being carriedby the wind into the middle of the yard, but this danger had beenseen, and several men were putting out the big sparks as fast as theyfell.
But there was every chance that several tiers of lumber near the wharfwould ignite from the flames sweeping from the barge. If one or twopiles caught, the whole yard would go.
"What are we going to do?" cried Vincent to the young captain. "Wecan't get out engine down there!"
Bert was puzzled. It was a new problem for the amateur fireman, and hehardly knew what to do. But to get close enough to the blaze to usethe engine and at the same time have a supply of water, was not aneasy thing to work out.
Just then the burning barge swung down the lake, for the cables hadbeen 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 outinto the lake, and play on the barge from the side where there are noflames! Lively, now, boys!"
They saw his meaning at once. There were plenty of boards at hand tomake a runway for the engine, and in a little while it was on theflatboat
. Then, with long poles which reached to the bottom of thelake, 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 linefast and tow it away, or it will set the other barges below here onfire, and we'll have more than we can handle. If we can keep the blazeto the one barge we'll be all right."
It was hard work, but the boys accomplished it. They put theirflatboat close to the side of the blazing craft, where there were noflames, and made fast. Then they poled both boats well out into thelake.
"The dock is burning!" cried Cole.
"Let the bucket brigade attend to that," answered Herbert. "We've gotour hands full here!"
Indeed they had, but the contest was more even now. The boys, usingbuckets with ropes attached, dipped from the lake the water which theypoured into the engine, tank, and then the three streams were turnedon the burning barge.