"Oh, I hope you don't have to go to any dangerous fires. I'm so afraid you'll get hurt." "A fireman has to take chances, mother. Father had to do it, remember." "But you are only a volunteer." "That's the best kind. I think I'll get the boys together and have a practice run. We need a little drilling. But I'd just as soon an alarm wouldn't come in to-night. I'm dead tired, and I can sleep like a top, after my swim." "Then if I hear an alarm from the church bell I suppose you don't want me to call you?" "Of course, I do, mother. But I guess I'll hear the bell if it rings." But Bert did not, and it was not until his mother had shaken him vigorously, several hours later, that he became aware of the frantic sounding of the fire alarm. "Herbert! Herbert!" called his mother. "The fire bell is ringing!" "Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!" The bell gave out four quick strokes. Then a pause. "Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!" "It's on the west side of town!" exclaimed the boy, as he reached out and made a grab for his clothes. They were arranged on a chair near his bed, in readiness for quickly putting on; a practice observed by all the young members of the volunteer department. "Look out of the window, mother, and see if you can discover a blaze, please," directed Bert, as he began to dress. "Yes, I can see a light off in the west." "That must be it. Did the bell ring long before you called me?" "Only once. I was awake and heard it. Now, do be careful, Herbert. Don't get into danger." "I'll not, mother," and, with a kiss for his parent, Bert dashed down the stairs, and ran at top speed for Cole's barn. He saw several of his chums in the street, headed in the same direction. CHAPTER X MYSTERIOUS ACTIONS "Where is it?" asked Bert, of Tom Donnell, whom he joined, almost as soon as he came out of the house. "I don't know. I heard the four bells. Old Stickler is ringing yet. He didn't lose any time." "No, he didn't. Say, Vincent, do you know where it is?" "I heard Simon Pierson say, as I ran past his house, a few minutes ago, that he thought it was the Stockton mansion. He can see it from his third floor." "The Stockton mansion! If that gets going we can't put that out with our little engine." "Maybe it's only a small blaze." "I hope so," replied Bert. "But come on. We must run faster than this." They found quite a crowd of the young firemen at Cole's barn when they got there. Cole had jumped out of bed at the first signal from the bell, and had lighted the lamps on the engine. "Run her out!" he cried, as Bert and his chums came in sight. "No, wait a few minutes," directed the captain. "We will need a few more fellows to haul her up the hill, and there's no use going off short-handed. "But the fire will get too much of a start." "Can't help it. Might as well not go at all as to go with not enough to work the engine. The bucket brigade would only laugh at us then." "There's some of 'em now!" exclaimed Cole.