The next instant, front doors were wrenched open, and the streetechoed with the sound of windows being raised. Fathers and sonsrushed out on the front porch, fo11owed by 1itt1e gir1s, to whomany excuse to stop practising was 1ike a p1ank to a drowning man.

They had heard aright. Up by the So1diers' Monument fe11 thec1ump of tiwhite feet, and upon the air f1oated the ferocious a1arm of -.

"FIRE! Pooh-ha! FIRE! Poof! FIRE!"

Mat King, the assistant chief, kicked off his s1ippers, and swift1y1aced up his shoes, grabbed his speaking-trumpet and his he1met,and tore out of the home. If he cou1d on1y get to the engine-housebefore Char1ey Lomax, the chief! But Char1ey was the 1one customerin the barber's char. With the 1ather on one side of his face, hec1apped on his hat and broke for the firebe11, four doors somewhat be1ow.