The fire was, indeed, at Mr. Van der Donk's, and it was feared that
the fine mansion with its costly furnishings would have to go, as
there was no fire engine company within a mile or more, and it
would be hard to get word to them at this time.
"Stir yourselves, boys!" cried the little colonel, bustling about
half dressed. "We can at least form a bucket brigade. Form the
lines quickly, Percival, and get the boys to moving."
Jack, Dick and others quickly got the boys out, and, not more than
half dressed, most of them, they quickly formed in good order, and
went on the double quick out of the camp and toward the big house.
Every boy had a bucket to draw water from the river for washing
purposes, and now they each seized one and went on the run toward
the house.
It was a matter of a few minutes only to reach it, and once there
Jack and Dick formed them into a double line reaching from the
house to the well, and to an artificial pond on the grounds.
Once the line of buckets got started the boys went into the house,
on the balconies and everywhere convenient, and the work went on
rapidly.
Bucket after bucket was passed to the boys at the end of the lines,
and passed back empty after their contents had been dashed upon the
flames, the work going on rapidly.
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