exclaimed the aid, energetically.

"God bless me, if you think they are of any use, bring them here; but I
don't know a person in Melbourne who understands working them."

His excellency's remark appeared to stagger the aide-de-camp, for by the
light of the flames I saw him bite his lips with vexation, and glance
over the crowd, as though wishing that he could find somebody who would
come to his rescue.

Fred and myself could no longer keep silent. We thought, that we saw an
opening for our talent that should not be lost, so giving the nearest
soldier a slight push one side, and narrowly escaping a thrust from a
bayonet in return, we suddenly stood before the astonished group.

"We have come to ask permission to take charge of your engines," Fred
said, before the aide-de-camp could find breath to order us into
custody, and the soldiers appeared disposed to make prisoners of us
before the word was given.

"God bless me, what is the meaning of this?" cried the governor, putting
his eye-glass up, and surveying us from head to foot, as though we were
animals of the _rara avis_ species.

"Stand back, soldiers," cried the aide-de-camp, in a tone of command,
when he saw that the men were disposed to force us amongst the crowd
again, "return to your ranks, and leave me to deal with these men."

"Now, my men, what do you wish?" asked the aid; and we knew by the tones
of his voice that he possessed the spirit of a man, and would know how
to appreciate the services which we were disposed to render.

"We accidentally overheard a remark from the governor, that there was no
one in Melbourne who understood the working of your fire-engines, so we
have come to volunteer our services," Fred said, boldly.

"God bless me, but this is most extraordinary," said the governor,
turning to his suite for confirmation of his words.

"Have either of you ever been accustomed to the working of an engine?"
asked the aid.

"We have both belonged to a volunteer fire department," I said, "and if
the machines are not entirely out of repair, we think that we can work
them to advantage."

"I was not aware that there was a volunteer system in England," said the
aid, whom we now understood was Colonel Hensen. He spoke in a slightly
sarcastic manner, as though he had caught us in a falsehood and was
determined to fathom our motives.

"We were not speaking of England, sir," I said, with some little
asperity.

"Pray, what country do you allude t