town. As soon as members of the new fire department heard the signal
they were to dress quickly, and hurry to Cole's barn. Thus, with the
constable on the watch to detect the first sign of a blaze, the boys
were ready to tackle the biggest kind of a conflagration.

One pleasant summer day, Bert and several of his chums were out in a
rowboat on the lake. They frequently spent much time on the water, for
there was good fishing in it and in the river which flowed into the
lake, and they also had much fun swimming.

"Let's row over toward the big cove and have a dip," proposed Bert,
who, with Tom Donnell, was at the oars. "It's getting too hot out here
in the sun."

All agreed, and soon they were in a secluded part of the sheet of
water. Big Cove, as it was locally called, was a sort of bay, almost
out of sight from the main part of the lake. To reach it the boys had
to row around a point, which extended for quite a distance out into
the water. On this point was a boathouse, which was part of the
property on which stood an old and what at one time had been a
handsome residence. This was on a bluff, overlooking the lake, and was
known as the Stockton mansion.

As the rowboat turned this point the boys were surprised to see a
small motor craft shoot out from the boathouse.

"Look at that!" exclaimed Bert. "I didn't know there was one of those
gasolene jiggers on the lake."

"Me either," added Tom. "Must be a new one. Wonder who's in it?"