Читать книгу The Blue Birds at Happy Hills онлайн

43 страница из 47

“To help you all I can, I have invited one of New York’s Fire Commissioners to visit us shortly and tell you many wise things I do not know in connection with this work. But long before he comes I want you to be practicing daily and have sham-fires. I have a hand-engine waiting in the great barn back of the tool-house, and enough hose to reach from the brook to any Nest or building in the woods.

“I have also ordered, but they have not yet arrived, a set of small ladders and hooks and other implements useful in case of fire. All apparatus for the Fire Department will be kept in this new shed back of us, and no Little Citizen is ever to be allowed inside this door, unless it be one of the boys detailed as a fireman.

“You ten boys will have a dark-brown camp-uniform to show you are Firemen; and in case of a fire you will don the heavy overalls and caps kept in the Fire-house.”

As Uncle Ben explained the plan and held up a sample fireman’s uniform, the boys shouted and whistled and clapped with delight, for this sort of thing was very unusual and gratifying.