efore them. It had a shorter way to travel, and was
already pitched, with its head resting against a window of the second
floor, and the fly ladder raised to the third.

The people who had crowded round the building at the first alarm of
fire, were looking on as if in suspense, and the firemen knew that
Conductor Forest, or one of his lion-hearted comrades, was inside, doing
his noble and dangerous work. But they had no time to pay attention to
what was going on.

While some of the firemen got the engine into play, the others ran in a
body to the front-door of the burning house, the lower part of which was
a coach-builder's warehouse. It was a heavy double door, locked and
barred, and the owner had not yet arrived with the key. It was evident
that the fire had originated in one of the upper floors, for there was
no light in the wareroom.

"Get the pole-axe," said Dale, as soon as he found the door was fast.

Frank Willders sprang off at the word, and returned with an axe of the
largest size attached to a handle nearly four feet long.

"Drive it in, Willders," said Dale.

Frank's powerful blows at once thundered on the massive door; but they
fell on it in vain, for it was unusually strong. Seeing this, Dale ran
back to the engine, and got out the pole.

"Come, lay hold some of you!" said he. Immediately eight firemen, Frank
and Dale being at the front, charged the door like a thunderbolt with
this extemporised battering-ram. It gave way with a prodigious crash,
and the whole party fell over each other into the warehouse.

There was a burst of laughter from themselves, as well as from the
crowd; but in another moment they were up and swarming through the
premises among the smoke, searching for a point of attack.

"Send the branch up here," cried Mason, coughing violently.

"Sure, my peepers is out entirely!" gasped Corney, rushing to the window
for air; while showers of water fell on his head, for the engine was
already in full play.

Just then there was a noise outside, as if men were disputing violently.
Dale guessed at once what it was, and ran down the staircase, calling
out as he passed: "Here, Willders, Corney, Baxmore, lend a hand, will
you?"

On reaching the engine, they found about a dozen roughs of the lowest
character, disputing fiercely as to which of them was to pump the
engine! As each man received one shilling an hour for this work, it
became a desirable means of earning a good night's