"What do you mean, Herbert?"

"Well, I think the village ought to have a fire department, a
volunteer one at least, and I was thinking of organizing it."

"Well, Herbert, you know your poor father used to say the same thing,
but he never could get any one to agree with him. The men don't seem
to take an interest in such a matter, though I should think they
would."

"I wasn't thinking of taking in the men, mother."

"Not take in the men? Whom would you have, then?"

"The boys--my chums."

"What! your friends--the boys you play ball with?"

"Yes. I think we could organize as good a fire department as if we had
the men, and I'm sure we could get out quicker on alarms, and could
beat the bucket brigade all to pieces."

"I'm afraid that's too big an undertaking for you boys, Herbert. Maybe
the men will get together, now, and do something, after this barn
fire. Perhaps they'll organize a department."

"I don't believe so. I heard that Mr. Appelby and Mr. Sagger were
talking about it, and Sagger and his crowd object to spending the
money."