"Come on!" cried the boy.

"You can't take the horses down these stairs," said the constable, as
he and several other men followed Bert.

"No. Don't try it," added the farmer. "They'll break their legs."

"I'm not going to," said Bert. "Couldn't if I wanted to. The stairs
are too narrow and steep. Hey, Cole," he called to his chum, who with
Vincent had left the now utterly useless bucket brigade lines, "you
slip around and let out the cows. Mr. Stimson, you'd better show him."

"That's right. We'll git the cows out!"

The cows were kept in the basement of the barn, the entrance to it
being on the other side, level with the ground. The flames had not
eaten down, as yet, and the cows were found patiently chewing their
cud. It did not take long for Mr. Stimson and his neighbors to get
them out.

With the horses it was a more difficult matter. These highly nervous
animals, half maddened by the fire, were running about, having now
broken their halters, and they could be heard trampling on the floor
overhead. Part of the floor was burning, and the animals were confined
by the flames to one side of the barn.

"You'll never git them out," prophesied the constable.

Indeed, Bert was beginning to have his own doubts. But he had a plan
which he wished to try.