Part 4 (1/2)
He caught up his blanket It was ot to do!” he murmured ”I'll be scorched, I'oes!”
Wrapping the covering about him, he dashed across the barn floor It was ablaze in several places under his feet The cataract of fire was now fiercer than ever over the opening of the big doors Holding the blanket to protect his head, he took a running start, and ju he went, and he heard a confused cheer and shout as he appeared He felt the hot breath of the fire all about hi straw and hay
His nose anddown, down, down He tried to keep hiht land on his feet, but, in spite of hi on his back He twisted and squirmed, as does a diver ants to cleave the water cleanly Oh, how Bert wished he was diving into the old swi hole, instead of into a fiery round in a crouching position He see in a mass of black cinders that rose up in a feathery cloud all about hirab hi him forward An instant later his blanket was unwrapped from his head, and he found himself in the midst of a crowd of men and boys
”Look out! The blanket's afire!” so reat crash, and the roof of the barn toppled in
A great shower of sparks arose, and there was a dense cloud of smoke
Then the flames seemed to die down, for there was little left for theot out just in ti hiet burned any?”
”Just a bit; on one hand I had to leave it out to hold the edges of the blanket together How about you?”
”Not a scorch, but I'h”
”The puet out of this I' straw and hay that was down here seeade that they'd better use the water on this, instead of throwing it against the sides of the barn, where it wasn't doing any good So they did, and they kept a good deal of the fire down, so's you'd have a good place to land in”
”I owe that to you, Vincent”
”And I owe round”
The cow-yard, with the natural wetness that always existed there, to which had been added ade, was now athrong, made their way to the front of the barn All work at atte more could be done, and, as all the cattle and horses had been saved, as well as soht be said that all that was possible had been accomplished
”Got to let her burn now,” said the constable ”How'd it start, Mr
Stiuess Fust I knowed I woke up, an' see th' blaze Then I sent my boy Tom out to yell”
”Yes, I heard hiood and proper
I got right after the bucket brigade”
”That's what you did”
”Well, the bucket brigade ood it did,” remarked Cole Bishop, who had recovered his usual calht to had a couple of force-pumps like mine”
”Oh, you boys clear out,” advised the constable ”First thing you know you'll git hurt”
”Huh! I guess if it hadn't been for soer loss than there is,” retorted Cole