Several members of the bucket brigade made
application to join the new department, and they were taken in. Moses
Sagger and some of his cronies, however, still held out.
As the boys dragged the new chemical engines through the town, quite a
crowd came out to look at them. The machines glittered with brass and
copper, highly polished, and made a fine appearance.
"Them things don't look as if they could put out a fire," said an old
resident, who was used to seeing the bucket brigade or a hand engine
at work. "Why, there ain't no pump, nor yet any pails."
"They say the pump's inside that there big copper cylinder," explained
a man standing near him.
"Humph! Looks like an old wash boiler stuck on four wheels. That ain't
any good. You need water to put out a fire."
"You do, eh?" thought Cole, who overheard this remark. "Well, we'll
show you, some day."
The engines were soon in their quarters, and were charged with the
soda and acid, according to the directions sent by the manufacturers.
"Now, we're all ready for a fire!" exclaimed Bert, as he and his chums
looked at the machine in Cole's barn, while an equally admiring throng
had gathered at the town hall, where Vincent was to be in command.
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