"
"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."
"That's another point, Herbert. You'd have to have money to run a
department."
"Not much. You see we boys would serve without pay, and all we'd need
would be an engine."
"But engines, even the kind worked by hand-pumps, cost money."
"I know it, but we might get a second-hand one cheap. We could raise
the money somehow--get up a show, or have a ball game."
"Perhaps you might, Herbert. But I don't want you running into danger.
I'm sure you are thoughtful to take so much interest in the affairs of
the town. Your father used to be that way."
"Well, our house might catch fire some day, mother, and if I belonged
to the boys' volunteer department, we could put it out for you in a
hurry.
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