Part 5 (1/2)
Here and there about the store, and down in the bas.e.m.e.nt, rushed the firemen and policemen. Toys that were scattered about were hastily piled in open boxes. Then the boxes were dragged out on the sidewalk. Quite a crowd gathered in the street, for more engines, firemen and policemen were arriving all the while.
”Oh, this is dreadful!” thought the China Cat, as a whiff of smoke blew in her face. ”I shall be all blackened and ruined!”
Clang! Clang! rang the bells on the real fire engine. Toot! Toot! blew the whistles.
”Here is a toy cat! Put her in that box!” called one fireman to another, who was dragging out a wooden box into which he had tossed the Talking Doll, a Jumping Jack and a dozen Green Pigs. ”Take them out; and then we must begin to use the water! The fire is getting too hot!”
The China Cat could feel the heat, and she noticed that the red color on the cheeks of a Painted Doll was all running down, making her look very streaked.
”Oh, what a b.u.mp!” thought the China Cat, as she felt herself tossed into the packing box. She landed in between the Talking Doll and a Jumping Jack.
”Out on the sidewalk with that box!” cried the fireman, and he and some others began dragging out the one in which was the China Cat.
There had been a great deal of noise and excitement in the store, but there was five times as much noise out on the sidewalk. Just as the box containing the China Cat was dragged toward the door, a shower of water sprinkled down.
”Oh, dear me!” thought the China Cat. ”I can't bear to be wet, and now it is raining! But I hope it will wash from me some of the black smoke.”
However, it was not rain that the China Cat felt, but water from the hose of a real engine. The firemen were beginning to squirt water on the blaze, to save as much as they could of Mr. Mugg's store and of his toys, and some of the water from the hose sprayed on the China Cat.
By this time it was getting to be morning, and crowds of men and boys, with a few women, on their way to early work, stopped to look at the fire. Smoke was pouring out of Mr. Mugg's bas.e.m.e.nt, and some one had hurried to the toy-shopkeeper's house to awaken him and his daughters and tell them what was happening.
”Oh, look at the toys!” cried a group of boys, as they came running up the street to see where the fire was. ”Oh, look at 'em!”
”Keep back now! Let those toys alone!” warned a policeman who was on guard.
Most of the boys stepped back off the sidewalk, but when the policeman's back was turned a little black boy, who stood somewhat apart from the others, sneaked up to the packing box into which the China Cat and the Talking Doll had been thrown.
”Golly, what a lot ob toys!” murmured the little negro boy, whose name was Jeff. ”I reckon as how I kin git one fo' nuffin, if dat p'liceman don't see me.”
Jeff, who was dirty and ragged, watched his chance. He had come from his home in a tenement house, not far from the fire, and his eyes glistened when he saw so many toys out on the street.
”Um-ah! Jest look at 'em!” murmured Jeff. ”Golly! I kin git one as easy as not outen dat open box! Wait till dat p'liceman turns around.”
Jeff watched his chance. The policeman on guard moved off to one side.
In an instant Jeff, the dirty little black boy, sneaked up, and, thrusting in his hand, which was black with dirt as well as being covered with black skin, he took up the pure, white China Cat.
”Dis am just whut I want!” whispered Jeff.
”Oh, my, how dirty he is! Oh, I can't bear to have him touch me!”
thought the China Cat. ”I dread dirt more than I do water! Oh, what shall I do?”
But she had no chance to do anything just then, for, with a quick motion, Jeff, the colored boy, thrust the China Cat inside his dirty, ragged blouse.
”Oh, I'll be smothered!” thought the poor China Cat. ”What a dreadful fate to be taken away by a dirty boy! And only an hour ago I was so happy! Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!”
CHAPTER V
ROUGH PLAY