In a little while Harry came back, still hunting for his friends. A puff of smoke caught his eye and he ran to see what was burning. By this time the straw had set fire to the end of the sheep-shed, and the flames were eating their way toward the low roof.
"Fire!" shouted Harry; but the crowd had gone over to see the milking and there was no one in sight.
"Some one will come in a minute," he thought, and he snatched off his coat and beat back the flames as they ran up the dry boards.
"Fire!" he shouted again, at the top of his voice. This time a man who was feeding the lambs heard him and came out with a pail of water; and then it did not take long to put out the fire.
Just as Harry was stamping out the last flickering flames in the burning straw, a policeman came running out. "Here, what are you doing?" he cried.
"Putting out this fire," replied the little boy.
"I suppose you started it, too," said the policeman. "I never saw a boy yet who could keep out of mischief."
Just then the two men came to the door of the sheep-shed. "What is the matter?" they asked.
"This boy says he was putting out a fire, and I think he must have set it," the policeman told them.
"No, sir," said Harry, "I didn't set the straw on fire. It was burning when I came up, and I tried to put it out."