"Wait a minute," advised Bert.
He looked about him, seeking some means of escape. It would be dangerous to try to leap through the doors. They would fall into a mass of burning straw, which would scar them terribly, as would also the falling cataract of ignited wisps. Yet there was no other way.
Then a daring idea came to Bert. He remembered reading about a man who once escaped in a similar manner from a burning barn.
"Grab up a horse blanket!" he called to Vincent. There were several scattered about the barn, and they were of heavy wool.
"I've got one," shouted Vincent. At the same time Bert found a large one.
"Dip it in water," was the next command.
In one corner of the barn, near the horse stalls, there was a pump, at which were filled the pails to water the horses when they were in the barn. There was water in one pail now.
Bert dipped his blanket in, and drew it out dripping wet. But the wool had absorbed most of the water, and there was only a little more left in the pail.
"Here, wrap this about you, and jump!" cried Herbert, passing the wet blanket to his chum, and taking the dry one from him.
"What will you do?"