Part 20 (1/2)
”That's right! Accept the offer!” came from various parts of the hall.
”With thanks!” added a more thoughtful man.
”You seem to be of one mind,” went on the mayor. ”I shall now put the question to a vote.”
”One moment, if you please,” began Bert, rising to his feet. He was rather pale, for he was not used to speaking in public.
”What is it, Herbert?” asked Mr. Appelby. ”Don't you favor this?”
”I most certainly do, and so do all the boys. All we want to know is, what will become of our department?”
”Oh, we won't need you boys when we get the chemical engines,” said Mr. Sagger quickly. ”The members of the bucket brigade will attend to them. You boys can give your old engine away if you want to.”
”We'll do nothing of the kind!” exclaimed Bert. ”We bought and paid for that engine, when there was no prospect of Lakeville having anything like a department. Now we have a good organization and---”
”Yes, and we can put out fires!” interrupted Cole. ”My force pump---”
”Dry up!” exclaimed Vincent, pulling Cole by the coat-tails. ”Let Bert do the talking.”
”That's all right. I was going to tell them about my force pump,”
murmured Cole.
”They don't want to hear it. Listen.”
”I think we ought at least be allowed to continue our organization, and be recognized by the town as a part of the fire department,” went on Bert. ”We don't ask to run your chemical engines, but we would like to keep our hand engine.”
”No, we don't want it!” cried Mr. Sagger. ”We have no use for you boys. The men can run things in this town, We'll merge the bucket brigade into a regular department.”
”That's what we will!” came from some of the older members of that ancient organization. ”Then we might as well go home, boys!” exclaimed Herbert, somewhat bitterly. ”They have no use for us here.”
”One moment!” exclaimed Mr. Bergman, rising in his seat.
Everyone turned to look at him.
”I think some of you men are under a little misunderstanding,” he went on. ”My offer to buy two chemical engines was made because of the very efficient work the boys of this town did in putting out the fire in my lumber yard. I most certainly will not consent to thrusting the boys aside, now that we are about to have a regular department.”
”Hurrah!” came from the irrepressible Cole. ”My force pump---”
But his companions made him keep silent.
”I may say,” went on Mr. Bergman, with a look at the boys, in their natty uniforms, ”that my offer depends on one thing.”
”What is that?” asked Mr. Appelby quickly.
”It is this: That the boys are to be in charge of the regular department, just as they now are of the volunteer one!”
”Hurrah!” cried Cole again, and his chums joined in with him. ”My force---”
”Ain't the bucket brigade going to run things?” inquired Mr. Sagger.