Meantime, there arose before him what looked like the Eiffel Tower on a small scale; it was surmounted by a pipe with a curved end, and as he looked a stream of water burst from the pipe and fell against the wall of the building. Then the pipe moved slowly until it discharged its stream directly into an open window, and Bruce saw that it was worked by means of a lever at its base, and that one of the men from the quarters was moving it. Not until that moment did he realize that what he saw was the water-tower which had been swiftly and silently erected and put in operation. Then other engines with their hose tenders came thundering down the street, for Mr. Trask had already rung a second alarm in view of the fact that the fire was likely to prove a dangerous one and difficult to handle. There was another battalion chief on the ground also, but although Bruce knew that he was Mr. Trask’s senior in rank and years of service, he did not assume the command and for two reasons: the fire lay within the junior chief’s district, and besides the latter had been the first on the scene of action. And while all this had been going on about him, Bruce noted everything that he saw from his seat on the tender, and wished that he, too, might do his share in the work of fighting the flames. So much had been accomplished before his eyes that he could hardly believe it possible that but a very few minutes had elapsed since his arrival on the ground. A familiar voice greeted him, and looking down he saw Mr. Peter Dewsnap standing on the sidewalk beside the tender, and wiping the perspiration from his flushed face. “So they are going to make a regular fireman of you,” remarked the old gentleman, pleasantly. “I hope so,” replied the boy, as he descended from his perch. “This is the first big blaze I’ve seen since I came to New York. I noticed you standing beside that ash barrel when I came along.” “Yes,” replied Mr. Dewsnap, “that’s an old trick of the Volunteer Department. You see Captain Murphy’s a particular friend of mine, and when I saw the smoke I knew he would have hard work to get his stream on first, for the other house is nearer by half a block, so I just grabbed an ash barrel, dumped the ashes into the street, and clapped it over the hydrant; that’s the reason that other company passed it, and Murphy’s men got their connection made first. But I’m afraid this is going to be a very hot blaze, my boy, and they tell me they haven’t got all the people out of the building yet.”