The two boys shoved the apparatus to the opened doors. Another shove
and it toppled over and out. It landed safely, as they learned later.

"Come on, here are some bales of hay and straw. Might as well save
them, too," suggested Bert. "The fall won't hurt them, and the men can
roll them out of the way before the flames reach them."

They managed to save several bales, all they could reach; and they
also rolled out a carriage, which, as it had the bales to topple out
on, falling only a short distance, was very little damaged.

"That's the stuff, boys!" called Constable Stickler, who with a crowd
of others was in the cowyard, removing such things as the boys pushed
or tossed out, for they found many small objects they could save.

"There isn't much more we can get out," called Bert in answer. "It's
getting pretty hot here. Guess we'll have to leave, now."

He and Vincent turned to descend the inner stairs, by which they had
entered. As they did so there was a crash, and the forward part of the
roof fell in. An instant later the stairway was buried put of sight
under a mass of blazing wood.

"We can't get out that way!" cried Vincent. "We're caught in a trap!"

"The big doors!" replied Bert. "We can jump out, just like the horses
did."

"That's so! Come on! I guess the mud won't hurt us!" They turned to
that side of the barn, but to their horror they saw a stream of fire