s
of the neighbouring street lamp and the engine lanterns.

There was wonderfully little noise or fuss, although there was so much
display of promptitude and energy; the reason being that all the men
were thoroughly drilled, and each had his particular duty to perform;
there was, therefore, no room for orders, counter-orders, or confusion.

The moment the call was given, Bob Clazie, having received no
telegraphic "stop," had at once run to ring up the men, who, like
Dashwood, had been sleeping close at hand. He rang up the driver of the
engine first. At the same moment his comrade on duty had run round to
the stable, where the horses stood ready harnessed, and brought them
out. Thus the thing was done without a moment's delay. The driver,
when roused, flung on his coat and helmet, and ran to the engine. It
was a steam fire-engine; that is, the pumps were worked by steam instead
of by hand. The firing was ready laid, and the water kept nearly at the
boiling point by means of a jet of gas. He had scarcely applied a light
to the fire and turned off the gas, when four comrades ran into the
shed, seized the red-painted engine, and dragged her out, as we have
seen.

Much shorter time did it take to do all this than is required to
describe it.

When the driver mounted his box, the others sprang on the engine.
Crack! went the whip, fire flew from the paving-stones, fire poured from
the furnace, the spirited steeds tore round the corner into Regent
Street, and off they went to the fire, in the dark winter morning, like
a monster rocket or a vision of Roman gladiators whirled away by a red
fiery dragon!

Mrs Dashwood heard them go, and turned with a little sigh to her
washing-tub. She was very proud of Joe, and she had good reason to be,
for he was one of the best men in the Red Brigade, and, what was of more
importance to her, he was one of the best husbands in the world.
Perhaps this was largely owing to the fact that she was one of the best
of wives! His career as a fireman had been short, but he had already
become known as one of the daring men, to whom their Chief looked when
some desperate service had to be performed. On several occasions he
had, while in charge of the fire-escape, been the means of saving life.
Upon the whole, therefore, it is not surprising that Mary was proud of
her husband--almost as proud of him as she was of the little rosebud;
but in regard to this she was never quite sure of the exac