this was all part of the play, continued to grind away at their
cameras, two reels of this play being taken, as an additional one was
needed.

"Here she comes!" cried the fisherman, as some of his companions came
rushing from a shed with an ancient style of hand fire-engine,
consisting of a tank, on wheels, with a force-pump arrangement, worked
by long handles. Water was poured in the tank by means of buckets, and
forced out on the blaze through a hose.

"Bring her up as clost as ye kin!" directed the self-appointed chief of
the amateur fire department; "'cause our hose ain't very long. Form
lines now, and dip water up from the ocean. Salt water is good for
fires!"

CHAPTER XIV

ATTACKED BY A SWORDFISH

"Don't do it!" cried Mr. Ringold. "Let that fire burn!"

But there were now so many fishermen rushing about here and there that
they paid no attention to the excited theatrical man, who issued orders
right and left.

"What shall we do?" demanded C. C., who had gotten off to one side with
the girl he was supposed to have "rescued" from the burning cabin.

"I don't know!" cried Mr. Ringold. "The whole play is spoiled by those
fellows butting in. Hi, there!" he called to Blake and Joe, as he saw
them operating the cameras. "Stop the reel! We don't want any of this!"

The clicking machines grew silent, and then the boys knew that something
was wrong.

Meanwhile, the hand engine was placed in position. It was learned,
later, that the fish concern kept it for use in cases of emergency.
There had been some small blazes, in which the old engine had proved
its worth.

The fishermen knew how to operate it to advantage, too, and soon a
double line of them, extending from the surf to the tank, began passing
the filled buckets up one side and the empty ones down the other. As the
tank filled, other men worked the handles and a stream of water was soon
spurting on the fire.

"Quit it! Oh, quit it!" begged Mr. Ringold. "I want that shack to burn!"

"He's crazy--don't mind him!" shouted the self-appointed chief. "We'll
soon have it out now."

"I'll see if I can stop them," said C. C., for the water had about
quenched the blaze, and it was useless to try to go on with the play.
"They'll listen to me," the comedian declared.

He rushed forward, but at that moment the hose got from the control of
the two men holding it. The nozzle swung around, and the stream came
full force over Christopher Cutler Piper, drench