Part 27 (1/2)
”Hush!+” exclaiers over his lips as an additional signal of caution ”Get away fro!”
”But,” went on the boy, ”I have--”
”Don't say a word Hurry away I'll try to see you to-night, at the barn Go, before--”
He did not finish the sentence, but hurriedly shut the shutters, and closed theBert took the hint, and glided into the woods, where he could not be observed He gave one look back at the mysterious house, and once more he saw that the , frorapher did not peer forth
Instead, the face of Muchmore appeared The man looked around carefully, as if to see if anyone had been co with inmates of the house Then, apparently satisfied, as he saw nothing suspicious, he pulled the shutters tightly together, and closed the
”Well, things are happening in a bunch,” thought Bert, as he e I can't make head or tail of, and then Mort warns me away froht? Itto do with the Stockton place”
Bert alht come in, so that the ti, and there was no occasion for taking out either of the engines
After supper, as was his custo chief visited the two fire-houses, to see that both apparatuses were in readiness for a run in the night The tanks were kept filled, and the lanterns were lighted as soon as it grew dark
Bert first went to the town hall, where, in the basement, he found Vincent and several members of ”Corps No 2,” as it was known
”Well, boys, all ready for a blaze?” asked Bert ”How's the ht ere going to have a run, a while ago”
”How's that?”
”Pile of shavings near Sagger's new butcher shop caught fire, andin here, and wanted us to take the engine out, but I saw it didn't a, and I didn't want to waste a lot of chemicals on a blaze like that”
”What did you do?”
”We put it out with a few pails of water He could have done the same, only he was too excited”
”And he is the h,”
observed John Boll
”I guess he's changed hisover to Cole's barn,” he added ”It's ht on duty”
Bert found Cole and several of his chuames of checkers and dominoes in the barn, which had been fitted up as reeted his chums, and then sat down, to await, hat patience he could, the proht the boy ”I'd like to get at the bottom of this”
It was nearly nine o'clock when Mort looked in at the open door of the barn and nodded to Bert
”I'll be back in a little while, boys,” said the young chief, as he followed the stenographer outside There was an oil la under it, pulled out the queer slip of paper, and showed it to Mort
”I thoughtabout this,” he said
”Where did you get it?”
”I picked it up right near where you saw me, under theSome one threw it out”