and saw that his clothes were dripping water.

"Yes-er-I-cr-I got in the brook," replied Bert, not caring to tell
about the tramp just yet.

"I should say you did get in. Some of the fellows must have left the
buckets too close to the edge. But, come on, let's haul the engine
back."

Most of the crowd had now dispersed, a few members of the bucket
brigade lingering to further examine the engine, while some of them
made slighting remarks about it. The boys paid no attention to them,
but, taking hold of the long rope, pulled the machine through the main
street of the village. The lads found their new fire department
increased largely as they advanced, for not a youngster in town,
whether or not he had before this taken an interest in the
organization, but who was now glad to get hold of the rope and pull.

"Guess we could organize two companies with this crowd," remarked
Cole, looking at the throng.

"Yes. We'll have to get together to-morrow or next day and elect
officers. Then we'll have to arrange some sort of a plan for answering
alarms."

The engine was run into Cole's barn, and the boys crowded around for
another observation of it. They actually seemed to hate to leave it to
go home to bed. "Say, I guess it isn't going to run away," remarked
John Boll, at length. "It'll be here tomorrow and the next day. I'm
going home."