"Is it the puffers?" asked Mun Bun, meaning the fire apparatus.
"Yes, the engines are all out in front of our house!" cried Russ. "We'd better get down out of here. It's too far to jump!"
"Don't dare jump!" screamed Rose. "Come on, Russ. You take Vi and Laddie and I'll look after Mun Bun and Margy." And she caught the two youngest children by their hands and Russ did the same for the twins, Vi and Laddie.
The smoke continued to grow thicker in the attic, and the cloud of it was now so dense that the chimney itself, whence the choking fumes came, could scarcely be seen.
But under the leadership of Russ and Rose the four smaller children were being led to safety, and while this is going on I shall take the chance to tell some of my new readers something of the other books in this series, as well as about the six boys and girls who are to have a part in this story.
Six was the number of the little Bunkers. That is, there was an even half dozen of them. Russ, aged nine years, was a great whistler and a lad who was often engaged in making toys, or building something, like make-believe steamboats or engines, to amuse his smaller brothers and sisters.
Next to Russ was Rose, a year younger. As I have told you, she was a great help to her mother—a girl of cheerful, sunny disposition, always making the best of everything.
Next came Violet and Laddie. They each had curly hair and gray eyes, and were twins. As you have noticed Vi was a great one for asking questions. It did not seem to matter to her what she asked questions about, nor how many, as long as she could keep some one busy answering them, or trying to answer. For not always could answers be found to Vi's questions. Laddie, her twin brother, had a different curious habit. He was always asking riddles—at least he called them riddles, though some of them were as funny as Vi's questions.
Last of all in the half dozen little Bunkers were Margy and Mun Bun. Margy's real name was Margaret, and the complete name of her small brother was Munroe Ford Bunker.
Now that we have finished with the children we will start on the grown-ups of the family. Daddy Bunker's name was Charles, and he was in the real estate business in Pineville, Pennsylvania. Mother Bunker's name was Amy, and before her marriage she was Miss Amy Bell.