where they hung underneath the tank, and ran toward the brook.

In less than three minutes from the time they had the engine in place,
the boys at the handles could pump water, so quickly was the tank
partly filled.

"Now, boys, keep her as near full as you can," advised Bert.

There were many willing hands. Into the tank splashed pail after pail
of water. Up and down went the long handles, with a "clank-clank." The
flattened lines of hose filled out as the water squirted through them,
and an instant later, out from the nozzles spurted vigorous streams,
which Tom and John aimed at the blazing stack.

There was a loud hissing, as the water struck the hot embers, and a
great cloud of steam arose.

"That's the stuff!" cried Bert, from his position near the brook.
"We'll have it out in a few minutes."

"Pass the buckets faster!" cried Mr. Sagger. "Douse out the fire!"

The members of the brigade had not been idle. They had formed two
lines, one for the empty and one for the filled pails, and the end man
at the latter line was kept busy tossing gallon after gallon of water
on the fire. But his was slow work compared with that of even the
primitive hand engine. He had to stop, momentarily, after each
bucketful, to reach for another and to toss aside the empty one.

Then, again, he could only throw water on one spot at a time, and this