"
"Well, good-bye," said Mort, as he left, while Bert went to the barn,
to see that the chemical tank was properly filled, in readiness for an
alarm.
As yet, beyond the one blaze in a small shed in the village, the
engines had not been tested at a real fire, nor had the new alarm
system been called on to show how much of an aid it was in enabling
the department to respond quickly. Several boxes had been installed in
different parts of the town, all running to the two fire-houses, as
the basement of the town hall and Cole's barn were designated. By
means of a simple switchboard arrangement, and a code of signals,
given on a gong, it could be told at once which box was pulled. In
addition the new bell on the tall steel tower would ring an alarm to
awaken those members of the department who were asleep at home.
There was a short meeting of the fire department one night, in Cole's
barn, where various matters were talked over, and the boys had not
dispersed more than an hour, when there sounded an alarm from the
tower. At the same time there rang out on the apparatus in Cole's
barn, the number of a box located near the Stockton mansion.
"There's another fire at the house of mystery," cried Cole, for the
boys had given the mansion that designation.
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