Part 7 (2/2)

”Can't you borrow a horse and drive it over?” asked the chief

”No; let's get the fellows over here and pull it back to Lakeville,”

proposed Bert ”That'll be fun We'll wake up our old town by parading through it”

”That's the idea,” agreed the chief ”Your citizens need stirring up, anyhow That was quite a fire you had over there the other night If you'd had a cheine like ours that blaze could have been put out”

”That's what it could,” replied Cole

”I had a visit from one of your men the other day,” went on the chief

”Who?”

”Mr Sagger He wanted to know, in case they had a bad fire in Lakeville, if we'd lend 'eine”

”What did you tell hi to help our neighbors, but that ouldn't lend our new engine I asked him why they didn't have soade, but he said they were poor, and couldn't afford it”

”Why, he's worth lots of money,” declared Cole ”He could support a department himself, and neverabout our boys' departhed at it Said it was only a lark of you lads, and would never a”

”We'll show hilad of our service, some day”

”I like the spirit you boys shoent on the chief ”If I can help you, give you advice, or anything like that, why, don't hesitate to call on me”

They thanked hian to discuss how to get the engine back, and finally decided to get their chums, make a trip for it, and haul it back in triuine, as probablyreaders know, is just what the naines were invented, one ines

The hand engines of those days, and the one which the Lakeville boys had purchased, was nothingtank on wheels, with a puh a hose The water was poured into the tank by pails, so that a sort of bucket brigade was really necessary Then there was neededarms to work the pump handles, or ”brakes,” as they were so, and usually there were two of the like those on a hand-car, used by construction gangs on a railroad There was thus rooh for several men or boys to take hold of the poles on either side of the engine

Soround, or, in case of a large engine, like the one the boys had purchased, on top of the water tank The water was poured into the tank at one end and forced out at the opposite end, through the hose On soines there were two lines of hose, and very powerful puine depended on the amount of water it could throw, and this, in turn, depended on how fast the bucket brigade could fill the tank

When the tank was full and sturdy ar handles up and down, there was a steady clank-clank to the puine was hauled to fires bydouble rope, which, when not in use, could be reeled up, as could also the hose

Soines were very elaborate affairs, with brass work and shi+ny laaily painted The one the boys had purchased had been a fine machine in its day, but was rather battered now Still, it was in good working order, and had a long length of hose

”I'll tell you what let's do,” suggested Cole, as he and Bert were on their way to Lakeville, to get their chu it into town, and then we can light the lanterns on the machine,” for there were four, one on each corner

”Good idea!” replied Bert ”We'll do it And we'll uess that will make a stir”