and
shivering, though none the less enthusiastic, youngsters. And over these
thousand or more silence reigned and every eye was fastened on the tall
somber looking tree.

Then came the signal from the Mayor. The next moment the orchestra
leader swung his baton and the orchestra rang forth. Simultaneously the
voices of the children took up the opening bars of a good old English
Christmas carol. This was the cue the four scouts at the switches were
waiting for. One by one they jammed the tiny rubber covered connections
home and in circuits of eight and twelve, the colored lamps on the great
tree began to twinkle until it was a blaze of glory from the lowermost
branches to the great glittering star on the top.

What a wave of applause greeted this illumination. Then some one in the
throng took up the carol the children were singing and in a moment
thousands of throats were pouring forth the happiness of Yuletide. The
people's enthusiasm seemed boundless.

But though the lights of the great tree revealed joyous countenances
everywhere, the scouts could single out three in the group on the
platform that seemed far happier than the rest. In truth, tears of joy
were coursing down old Nanny Haskell's cheeks as she sat there hugging
the form of Genevieve to her and listening to the rejoicing of the vast
throng. And close beside them, her arm about the old nurse's shoulder,
sat a very happy mother.

All through the ceremonies they stayed, lingering even till the lights on
the big tree began to go out in groups. And when the star on the top,
after a preliminary wink, went dark too, they turned and made their way
slowly across the square to where their cutter, a hired driver in the
seat, stood waiting.

"Well, fellows," said Bruce, as with a jingle of bells the sleigh started
in the direction of St. Cloud City, "I guess old Nanny's Christmas won't
be such a sad one after all, thanks to Bud, here."

And then with boisterous shouts of "Merry Christmas, everybody," the
scouts all started for home.

The End

End of Project Gutenberg's The Boy Scout Fire Fighters, by Irving Crump

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUT FIRE FIGHTERS ***

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