CHAPTER XXXIV.
A LIVELY TIME.
It took the members of the Zero Club less than two minutes to reach the burning barn.
As they neared it they saw a man rush out of the kitchen of the farmhouse.
He was bareheaded and screaming at the top of his voice:
“Help! fire! help!”
“We’ll help you!” cried Jack. “Are your pails handy? Where’s the well?”
“The well is here by the back door! Samanthy, get the milk pails an’ all the buckets you can find! The barn’s afire!”
From out of the kitchen came a woman’s scream. Ten seconds later an elderly female appeared, carrying half-a-dozen milk pails, a small wooden tub and a slop bucket.
In the meantime, Boxy was turning the well handle just as fast as he could and filling the big half-cask that stood beneath the spout. By the time it was half full the others had the pails and were dipping them in.
Harry and Jack and the farmer were the first to dash down to the barn. The fire was in a mass of hay near the feed box, and on this they dashed the water they carried.