"That's right! Accept the offer!" came from various parts of the hall.
"With thanks!" added a more thoughtful man.
"You seem to be of one mind," went on the mayor. "I shall now put the
question to a vote."
"One moment, if you please," began Bert, rising to his feet. He was
rather pale, for he was not used to speaking in public.
"What is it, Herbert?" asked Mr. Appelby. "Don't you favor this?"
"I most certainly do, and so do all the boys. All we want to know is,
what will become of our department?"
"Oh, we won't need you boys when we get the chemical engines," said
Mr. Sagger quickly. "The members of the bucket brigade will attend to
them. You boys can give your old engine away if you want to."
"We'll do nothing of the kind!" exclaimed Bert. "We bought and paid
for that engine, when there was no prospect of Lakeville having
anything like a department. Now we have a good organization and---"
"Yes, and we can put out fires!" interrupted Cole. "My force pump---"
"Dry up!" exclaimed Vincent, pulling Cole by the coat-tails. "Let Bert
do the talking."
"That's all right. I was going to tell them about my force pump,"
murmured Cole.
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