CHAPTER XIV.

A FIRE AND A DISCOVERY.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!”

Loud shouts of this dreadful alarm, mingled with the ringing of bells, the tooting of whistles and the hurrying of many feet awoke Jerry late one night, three days after the encounter in the road with the countryman and his skittish horse.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!” yelled men and boys hastening down the street.

“Where’s the blaze?” asked Jerry, throwing open his window and calling down to those running past.

“Judson’s mill!” was the cry. “Looks like a big fire!”

Jerry looked in the direction of the mill, and saw a glare in the sky.

“I’m going!” he exclaimed.

“Oh Jerry, you might get hurt,” objected Mrs. Hopkins.

“I’ll be careful, mother,” replied the boy, rapidly dressing.

On his way to the blaze he met Ned, who had also been awakened from his sleep by the alarm. The two boys hurried toward the mill, to which point it seemed as if every one in Cresville was hastening. The glare in the sky grew brighter.

“Here comes one of the engines!” cried Ned, as the apparatus dashed past. It was one of two new steamers recently purchased.

“Hurry up, and let’s see it work!” called Jerry, and the boys increased their run.

“How’d the mill catch fire?” panted Ned.

“I--didn’t--hear,” answered Jerry, breathing hard.

In a little while they were at the scene of the blaze. One of the smaller buildings of the mill was burning furiously. Smoke, flames and sparks were spouting from the roof, which was almost consumed.

Up dashed the engines. Connections were quickly made to hydrants, and soon two good sized streams were playing on the flames. The puffing of the steamers, the snapping and crackle of the flames, the shouts of those looking on, the yells of the firemen and the crash as pieces of the burning building fell in, made a din that was chaotic.

“Stand back boys!” exclaimed one of the firemen. “We want to run a hose in that gate.”

The boys made room and were now joined by Bob.

“Can we go in?” asked Jerry. “We’ll keep well back.”

The gate in front of which they stood gave access to the mill yard, at a point quite a distance from the fire.

“I guess it won’t do any harm,” answered the fireman who was a good natured man. “But keep well back in case the walls fall. We don’t want any one to get hurt.”

“We’ll be careful,” promised Jerry, and the boys followed the fire-fighter within the gate, helping him drag the hose, which was twisting and turning like a snake trying to get loose, so strong was the water pressure.

At last the fury of the fire seemed to have spent itself. The flames died down and all that remained to do was to wet down the ruins thoroughly to prevent any sparks from flying to other departments of the