portions of the mixture can be so varied that, with
one kind, the pump may be used for the clarification of beer, oils,
treacle, quicksilver, and such like, and for the preservation of fruit,
meat, milk, etcetera, and with another mixture they propose to ventilate
mines and tunnels; water gardens; kill insects on trees and flowers;
soften water for domestic uses, and breweries, and manufacture
soda-water, seltzer water, and other aerated beverages--"

"Oh, I say, Bob, hold on," cried Joe; "you seem to forget that my
capacity for swallowing is limited."

"Well, perhaps you'll get it enlarged enough before long, to swallow all
that and a deal more," said the Bloater, with a half serious air.
"Meanwhile I'll continue to wish all success and prosperity to the Red
Brigade--though you _do_ cause a tremendous amount of damage by your
floods of water, as we poor insurance companies know. Why, if it were
not for the heroes of the salvage corps we should be ruined altogether.
It's my opinion, Joe, that the men of the salvage corps run quite as
much risk as your fellows do in going through fire and smoke and working
among falling beams and tumbling walls in order to cover goods with
their tarpaulins and protect them from water."

"I admit that the salvage men do their work like heroes," said Joe; "but
if you would read our chief's report for last year, you would see that
we do our best to put out fires with the smallest possible amount of
water. Why, we only used about eleven million gallons in the last
twelve months--a most insignificant quantity that, for the amount of
work done!"

A tinkle of the telegraph bell here cut short the conversation. "Fire,
in the Mall, Kensington," was the signal.

"Get her out, lads!" cried Joe, referring to the engine.

Helmets and hatchets were donned and buckled on in the old style, and
quiet jokes or humorous and free-and-easy remarks were uttered in slow,
even sleepy tones, while the men acted with a degree of prompt celerity
that could not have been excelled had their own lives depended on their
speed. In three minutes, as usual, they were off at full gallop. The
Bloater--who still longed to follow them as of old, but had other
business on hand--wished them "good luck," and proceeded at a smart pace
to his new lodgings.

We must change the scene now, for the men of the Red Brigade do not
confine their attentions exclusively to such matters as drilling,
fighting, suffering, conquer