back home-第19部分

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ou；　Miss　Shoemaker。　　Yes；　I　saw　in　the　paper　you　were　visiting　your　sister。　　This　your　first　visit　to　our　little　burg？　Yes；　we　think　it's　quite　a　place。　　You　see；　we're　trying　to　make　your　stay　as　interesting　as　possible　。　。　。　。　Oh；　no；　not　altogether　on　your　account。　　No；　no。　　Ha！　　Ha…ha…ha！　　Hum！　ah！　。　。　。　　Well；　yes；　if　she　ever　gets　done　primping　up。　　Oh；　there　you　are。　　Miss　Shoemaker；　let　me　make　you　acquainted　with　my　wife。　　Now；　you　girls'll　have　to　get　a　move　on　if　you　want　to　see　anything。〃

The　male　escorts　grasp　the　ladies'　arms　and　shove　them　ahead；　that　being　the　only　way　if　you　are　ever　going　to　get　any　place。　　The　women　gasp　and　pant　and　make　a　great　to…do。

〃Ooh！　　Wait　till　I　get　my　breath。　　Will！　　Weeull！　　Don't　go　so　fay…ust！　　Oooh！　　I　can't　stand　it。　　Oh；　well；　you're　a　man。〃

But　when　they　turn　the　corner　that　gives　them　a　good　view　of　the　blaze；　fluttering　great　puffs　of　flame；　and　hear　the　steady　crackle　and　snapping；　as　it　were；　of　a　great　popper　full　of　pop…corn；　they；　too；　catch　the　infection；　and　run　with　a　loud　swashing　and　slatting　of　skirts；　giggling　and　squealing　about　their　hair　coming　down。

In　the　waving　orange　glare　the　crowd　is　seen；　shifting　and　moving。　It　seems　impossible　for　the　onlookers　to　remain　constant　in　one　spot。　　The　chief；　Charley　Lomax；　is　gesticulating　with　wide　arm　movements。　　He　puts　his　speaking…trumpet　to　his　mouth。　〃Yoffemoffemoffemoffemoffi〃　he　says。

〃Wha…at？〃　the　men　halloo　back。

〃Yoffemoffemoffemoffemoff。〃

〃What'd　he　say？〃

〃Search　me。　　John；　you　run　over　and　ask　him　what　he　wants。　　Or；　no；　I'll　go　myself。〃

〃Why　in　Sam　Hill　didn't　you　come　sooner？〃　demands　the　angry　chief。

〃Well；　why　in　Sam　Hill　don't　you　talk　so　's　a　body　can　understand　you？　　'Yoffemoffemoffemoffem。'　　Who　can　make　sense　out　o'　that？〃

〃The　hose　ain't　long　enough　to　reach　from　here　to　the　hydrant。　You　'n'　some　more　of　'em　run　down　t'　th'　house　an'　git　that　other　reel。〃

〃Aw；　say；　Chief！　　Look　here。　　I'm　awful　busy　right　now。　　Can't　somebody　else　go？〃

〃You　go　an'　do　what　I　tell　you　to；　and　don't　gimme　none　o'　your　back　talk。〃

（Too　dag…gon　bossy　and　dictatorial；　that　Charley　Lomax　is。　　Getting　'most　too　big　for　his　breeches。　　Never　mind。　　there's　going　to　be　a　fire　election　week　from　Tuesday。　　See　whether　he'll　be　chief　next　year　or　not。　　Sending　a　man　away　from　the　fire　right　at　the　most　interesting　part！）

〃I'll　go；　Chief；　wommetoo；〃　puts　in　jumbo　Lee；　all　in　a　huddle　of　words。　　〃Ije　slivsnot。　　Aw　ri。　　Mon　Jim。　　Shoonmeansmore　of　'em　go　gitth'otherreel。〃

Jumbo　isn't　a　member　of　the　fire　department；　though　he　is　wild　to　join。　　He　isn't　old　enough。　　He　is　six　feet　one　inch；　weighs　180；　and　won't　be　sixteen　till　the　5th　of　next　February。　　Nobody　ever　saw　him　when　he　wasn't　eating。　　They　say　he　clips　his　words　so　as　to　save　time　for　eating。　　He　takes　a　cracker　out　of　his　pocket；　shoves　it　in　his　mouth　whole；　jams　his　hat　down　till　his　ears　stick　out；　and；　with　his　companions；　tears　down　the　road；　seemingly　propelled　as　much　by　his　elbows　as　by　his　legs。　　Why；　under　the　combined　strain　of　growing　and　running；　he　doesn't　part　a　seam　somewhere　is　a　dark　mystery。

Crash！　　The　roof　of　the　barn　caves　in　and　reveals　what　we　had　not　before　suspected；　that　Platt's　barn；　on　the　other　side　of　the　alley；　is　afire　too。　　Say！　　This　is　getting　interesting。　　The　wind　is　setting　directly　toward　Swope's　house。　　It　has　been　so　terribly　dry　this　last　month　or　so　that　the　house　will　go　like　powder　if　it　ever　catches。　　Why；　I　think　Swope　has　a　well　and　cistern　both。　　Used　to　have；　anyway；　before　they　put　the　water…works　in；　and　the　board　of　health　condemned　the　wells。　　Say！　　There　was　a　put…up　job　if　there　ever　was　one。　　Why；　sure！　　Sure　he　had　stock　in　the　water　works。　　Doc。　Muzzey？　　I　guess；　yes　。　。　。　　。　　Pity　they　ever　traded　off　the　hand…engine。　　They　got　a　light…running　hook…and…ladder　truck。　　Won　two　prizes　at　the　tournament；　just　with　that　truck。　　But　if　they　had　that　hand…engine　now　though！　〃Up　with　her！　　Down　with　her！〃　　Have　that　fire　out　in　no　time！

They're　not　trying　to　save　the　barns。　　They're　a　dead　loss。　　What　little　water　they　can　get　from　the　cisterns　and　wells　around　…　hasn't　it　been　dry？　…　they　are　using　to　try　to　save　Swope's　house；　and　the　one　next　to　it。　　Is　that　where　Lonny　Wheeler　lives？　　I　knew　it　was　up　this　way　somewhere。　　Don't　he　look　ridiculous；　sitting　up　there　a…straddle　of　his　ridgepole；　with　a　tin…cup？　　A　tin…cup；　if　you　please。　　Over　this　way　a　little。　　See　better。　They're　wetting　down　the　roof。　　Line　of　fellows　passing　buckets　to　the　ladder；　and　a　line　up　the　ladder。　　What　big　sparks　those　are！　Puts　you　in　mind　of　Fourth　of　July。　　How　the　roof　steams！　　Must　be　hot　up　there。

O…o…o…oh！

A　universal　indrawn　breath　from　all　spectators　proclaims　their　horror。　　One　of　the　men　on　the　roof　missed　his　footing　and　slipped；　rolling　over　and　over　till　he　reached　the　roof　of　the　porch；　where　he　spread…eagled　for　a　fall。　　The　women　begin　to　moan。　　Some　poor　fellow　gone　to　his　death。　　Or；　if　he　be　so　lucky　as　to　miss　death　itself；　he　is　doomed　to　languish　all　his　days　a　helpless　cripple。　Like　enough　the　sole　support　of　an　aged　mother；　or　perhaps　his　wife　is　sitting　up　for　him　at　home　now；　tiptoeing　into　the　bedroom　every　little　while　to　look　at　the　sleeping　children。　　That's　generally　the　way　of　it。　　Who　is　there　so　free　and　foot…loose　that；　if　harm　befall　him；　some　woman　will　not　go　mourning　all　her　days？　It　must　take　the　heart　out　of　brave　men　to　think　what　their　women　folk　must　suffer；　mothers　and　wives　and　…　Who？　　Dan　O'Brien？　　Oh；　he'll　be　all　right。　　He'll　light　on　his　feet　like　a　cat。　　I　believe　that　boy　is　made　of　India　rubber。　　He　never　gets　hurt。　　Why；　one　time　…　Ah！　　There　he　goes　now　up　the　ladder　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　　Hooray…ayayay！　　Hooray…ay…ay…ay！　　I　thought　he'd　broken　his　neck　as　sure　as　shooting。

Wandering　about　one　cannot　fail　to　encounter　what　the　gallant　fire…laddies　have　rescued　from　the　devouring　element。　　There　is　the　piano　with　a　deep　scratch　across　the　upper　part；　and　the　top　lid　hanging　by　one　hinge。　　It　caught　in　the　door；　and　the　boys　were　kind　of　in　a　hurry。　　There　is　the　parlor　carpet；　plucked　up　by　the　roots；　as　it　were；　and　two　tubs；　the　washboard　and　a　bag　of　clothes…pins；　a　stuffed　chair；　with　three　casters　gone；　the　coffee…pot；　a　crayon　enlargement；　a　winter　overcoat；　a　blanket；　a　pile　of　old　dresses；　the　screw…driver　and　a　paper　of　tacks　in　the　colander；　the　couch　with　a　triangular　rip　in　the　cover；　the　coal…scuttle；　a　pile　of　dishes；　the　ax　and　wood…saw；　a　fancy　pillow；　the　sewing…machine　with　the　top　gone；　the　wash…boiler；　the　basket　of　dirty　clothes；　with　the　stove…shaker　and　the　parlor　clock　in　together；　and　a　heap　of　books；　all　spraddled　and　sprawled　every　which　way。　　Upon　this　pitiful　mound　sits　Mrs。　Swope　with　her　baby　sound　asleep　upon　her　bosom。　　She　mingles　her　tears　with　the　sustaining　tea　that　Mrs。　Farley　has　made　for　her。　　Swope；　still　in　his　socks　and　with　his　wife's　shoulder…cape　upon　him；　caught　up　somehow；　is　trying　to　soothe　her。　　He　is　as　mad　as　a　hornet；　and　doesn't　dare　to　show　it。　　All　this　furniture　he　had　insured。　　It　was　all　old　stuff　their　folks　had　given　them。　　If　the　gallant　fire…laddies　had　been　as　discreet　as　they　were　zealous；　they　would　have　let　the　furniture　go；　and　Swope　and　his　wife　would　have　had　an　entire；　brand…new　outfit。　　As　it　is；　who　can　ever　make　that　junk　look　like　anything　any　more？

What's　this　coming　up　the　road？　　Jumbo　Lee　and　his　friends　with　the　other　hose…reel。　　Now　they　will　connect　it　with　the　hydrant；　and　have　water　a…plenty　to　save　the　house。　　Now　the　fellows　are　coming　down　from　the　ladder。　　Cistern's　empty；　I　suppose。　　The　other　reel　didn't　come　any　too　soon。　　How　the　roof　steams！　　Or　is　it　smoking？

〃Don't　stand　around　here　with　that　reel！　　Up　to　that　water…plug。　Farther　up　the　street。　　Front　o'　Cummins's。〃

Jumbo　crams　another　cracker　into　his　mouth　and　speeds　away；　hunching　the　patient；　unresenting　air　with　his　elbows。

Ah！　　See　…　that　little　flicker　of　flame　on　the　roof！　　Do；　for　pity's　sake；　hurry　up　with　that　connection！　　The　roof　is　really　burning。　See？　　They　are　trying　to　chop　away　the　burning　place。　　But　there's　another！　　And　another！

A…a…ah！　　Hooray…ay！　　Connection's　made！　　Now　you'll　see　something。　Out　of　the　way　there！　　One　side！　　One　side！　　Up　you　go！　。　。　。　Wha…at？　　Is　that　the　best　they　can　do？　　Why；　it　won't　run　out　of　the　nozzle　at　all　when　it's　up　on　the　roof。　　　Not　a　drop。　Feeble　little　dribble　when　it's　on　the　ground…level。　　There's　your　water…works　for　you。　　It　is　a　good　long　way　from　the　fire…plug　I　know；　but　there　ought　to　be　more　pressure　than　that。　　Oh；　pshaw！　If　we　only　had　the　old　hand…engine！　　〃Up　with　her！　　Down　with　her！〃　Have　that　fire　out　in　no　time。　　The　house　will　have　to　go　now。　Too　bad！

Somebody　in　the　second　story　is　rescuing　property　from　the　devouring　element。　　He　has　just　tossed　out　a　wash…bowl　and　pitcher。　　Luckily　they　both　fell　on　the　sod　and　rolled　apart。　　He　takes　down　the　roller…shade　and　flings　it　out。　　The　lace　curtains　follow。　　They　catch　on　the　edge　of　the　veranda　roof；　and　languidly　wave　there　as　for　some　holiday。　　Bed…clothes　issue　and　pillows　hurtle　out。　　What's　he　doing　now？　　No　use。　　No　use。　　You　can't　get　the　mattress　out　of　that　window。　　A　waste…paper　basket；　a　rag　rug；　a　brush　and　comb　…　as　fast　as　his　hands　can　fly　he's　throwing　out　things。

The　women　began　to　whimper。

〃Oh；　the　poor　man！　　The　roof　will　fall　in　on　him！　　He'll　smother　to　death！　　Oh；　why　doesn't　somebody　go　tell　him　to　come　away？　　Not　you！　　Don't　you　think　of　such　a　trick！　　Oh；　why　does　he　risk　his　life　for　a　lot　of　trash　I　wouldn't　have　around　the　house？〃

The　smoke　oozes　out　of　the　open　window。　　It　must　be　choking　in　there。　For　a　long　time　no　jettison　of　household　goods　appears。　　Perhaps　the　man；　whoever　he　is；　has　seen　his　peril　and　fled　while　yet　it　was　possible　to　flee。　　Ah；　but　suppose　he　has　been　overcome　and　lies　there　huddled　in　a　heap；　never　to　rouse　again？　　Is　there　none　to　save　him？　　Is　there　none？　　Ah！　　A　couple　of　collars　and　a　magazine　flutter　out　into　the　light！　　He　is　still　there。　　He　is　still　alive。　Plague　take　the　idiot！　　Why　doesn't　he　come　down　out　of　that？

〃Yoffemoffemoffemoffemoff。　　Yoffemoff！〃

But　no！