my first acquaintance here. It's harder
work pushing a fire engine than it is pushing a pen, isn't it?"

Mr. Dillard grinned acquiescence.

"Con--_siderable_!" he gasped.

"Whose house is it that's burning?" continued Glenning.

"Must be--Major Dudley's; no other house out--here close."

At this juncture they rounded a sharp curve in the road, and came in
full view of the fire, now close at hand.

"Stable!" exploded Mr. Dillard, and everybody redoubled their exertions
at the same moment, rendering further conversation out of the question.

The surrounding landscape was brilliantly lighted by the leaping flames,
and Glenning saw that they were sweeping by a large, well kept lawn,
back of which rose a most pretentious old home. On they dashed to a
gate, which some thoughtful person had previously opened, and which let
into a meadow adjoining the stable lot. The people who had started in
buggies and on horseback had all arrived, and a number of them now came
forward to relieve the men who had brought the engine out. Most of these
willingly resigned their places, but Glenning stuck to his, and Dillard,
who was preparing to step aside, gathered fresh courage, and remained
also. The old engine was rushed furiously across the meadow and into the
lot, in the midst of a shrill bedlam of excited cries, most of them
conveying directions and suggestions entirely futile. In one corner of
the lot, near the doomed stable, an old negro was waving his arms
frantically and jumping up and down, yelling at every jump in a high
falsetto.

"Hyar's de well! Hyar's de well! Hyar's de well! Bring de ingine hyar;
Hyar's de water! Hyar's de well!"

Whether his penetrating tones reached the relief party, or whether some
person nearer to hand gave the information, does not matter. But the
engine was quickly rolled in position and the hose unwound. Peter seized
the end of the hose which was being borne towards him, and plunged it
into the well's black mouth.

"_More! More!_" he screamed, tugging at the sinuous rubber tube like a
madman. "De water's down dah! Come on wid it!"

Willing hands unwound the coil, and Peter paid it out. Down went the
hose, and presently the old negro jumped to his feet.

"_Pump!_" he shrieked; "put de water dah!"

Then, for fear he would not be understood, he ran like a monkey towards
the burning building. Stopping just outside the radius of the fiercest
heat, he pointed towards an open door.

"Dah! In dah