"Ay. No wonder you be mazed, the mayor being such a terrible great man and all. Some folks do rise quick in the world, to be sure. ’Tis only a matter of two year since he came here, from no one knowed where, and ’a took up a big contrack with the camp for building huts, and running a canteen, I think they do call it, and I don’t know what all. Ay sure, he’ve his fingers in many a pie, but I warrant they’ll get burnt, they will!" "But how did a stranger become mayor so quickly?" "Why, being such a great man, they put him on the Council, and t’other councillors being little small men, he got over ’em, that’s what I say. Bless ’ee, he’d have got ’em to make him king, if so be there was kings out of London. Ah, he’ve a power of money! He bought this cottage that I’ve paid rent for regular this twenty year, and he telled me he’d raise the rent as soon as Parlyment will let him, if not before. And he made me take this Saunders man for twenty shillings a week, when I’ve never had less than twenty-five, never!" Apple dumplings called Mrs. Pouncey from the room. When she returned with them, and Eves wanted to know how the apples got inside the crust, the dame gave a lengthy explanation which lasted till the conclusion of the meal. "We’ve a few minutes," said Templeton then. "Come and see my road-sweeper." He led Eves to an old shed at the rear of the premises. On entering, Eves’s eye was caught by a large formless mass of a substance somewhat resembling putty. "Hullo!" he cried. "Been playing with plasticine?" "That’s another little idea of mine," replied Templeton. "A new fire extinguisher." "You had better form a company, old sport. ’Bright Ideas, Unlimited.’ How’s it work?" "It’s very simple. You let a shallow tank, about a quarter-inch deep, into the ceiling of a room. The bottom, flush with the plaster, is pierced with holes like a sieve, the holes are plugged with my composition, and you run water into the tank. If a fire occurs the heat melts the composition——" "I see! Splendid! Down comes the rain and puts out the fire! But will the shower last long enough?" "Really, I’m surprised at you, Tom! The fall from a tank like that will be equivalent to an average week’s rainfall. But the point of the idea is the composition. I’ve tried other preparations without success, but this stuff of mine sets hard and yet melts easily. By varying the proportions of the ingredients you can get it to melt at different temperatures, but I haven’t quite finished my experiments in that direction. The difficulty is to gauge the exact temperature required, but I’ll manage it before long." "It hasn’t been tried yet in a building, then?"