"If he had my force-pump here, he could put out that fire yet," said
Cole. "I wish our boys would run out the old hand-engine."
And that is exactly what the smaller lads did, at the suggestion of
Mr. Bergman. He saw that the Weedsport department could do no more,
and, as the water tank of the hand-engine had been filled, he thought
of giving the smaller lads a chance to demonstrate what they could do.
They rushed out, and soon had the blaze well in hand.
Meanwhile, the now triple-cornered contest was almost over. The three
blazes were dying down. The lead which Bert and his lads had secured
at the start, stood them in good stead. In a few minutes more, and
just as the chemical in the tank began to give out, for Bert had, in
the excess of his zeal, turned on full power, the blaze was
extinguished. But, in the other two shacks, there were still signs of
flames.
"Take up!" cried the chief, in his most professional voice.
The boys began to reel back the hose.
"Lakeville wins!" called the umpire of the contest.
"Hurrah! Three cheers for Lakeville!" yelled the crowd, and Bert and
his lads blushed with pleasure, for they had won the silver trumpet.
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