We looked at our unpromising machines and found that they were of English make, and capable of throwing a stream about as large as garden engines.  They were covered with dust and dirt, and had not been worked for a twelvemonth; but nothing discouraged, we washed some of the thickest of the cobwebs away, examined the screws, filled the dry and cracked boxes with water, adjusted the hose, and then applied the brakes.  A low, wheezing sound was heard, which resembled the breathing of a person troubled with asthma, but no water was ejected.

The soldiers laughed, and ridiculed the machines, and the crowd outside of the square getting wind of our failure, shouted in derision at the “governor’s pets,” as they were called.

“I say, old fellows,” cried a voice, “I’ve got a syringe in my trunk at home that you can use.  It will be of more service than those machines.”

“Grease ’em,” shouted another.

“Play away, No. 2,” yelled a loafer.

“Hold on, No. 1,” shouted a fourth; and as No. 1 had been compelled to hold on for the want of water, which leaked from the boxes almost as fast as put in, the joke told hugely.

“You can do nothing with them,” said Colonel Hensen, joining us, and noticing the condition of the machines.  “I think that you had better send them back to the houses, and depend upon the buckets.  The fire has not gained headway for fifteen minutes.”

“We are not easily discouraged, sir,” replied Fred, and together we proceeded to examine the boxes of the engines attentively.

We found a screw, which regulated the flow of water, nearly off, and the plug in the bottom of the box out.  The latter explained the leakage at once, and by the time we had regulated matters the water carts arrived, and once more we filled the boxes and started the brakes.  After wheezing and sputtering a moment, a slight stream appeared at the nozzle of the hose.  It was greeted with yells of laughter, not only from those who were passing water in buckets, but even the soldiers joined in the cries.  The crowd took up the yells, and in a few minutes it seemed as though Bedlam had broken loose.

Not discouraged by the ridicule heaped upon us and the engines, we kept the boxes full and the soldiers at work on the brakes.  The result was as we had anticipated.  The stream grew larger and larger as the wood and leather began to swell, and in a few minutes after the brakes were applied the second time a noble stream was playing on the flames, and the root’s and sides of houses in danger of burning.

Crowds are always fickle, and easily swerved by success or failure.  In this instance we had no reason to complain of want of applause, for cheer after cheer was raised in honor of our perseverance, and Colonel Hensen was despatched by the governor to thank us on the spot for our labor.

Leaving the hose to be directed by an intelligent sergeant of one of the companies, we next turned our attention to the second engine, and succeeded in repairing that also; and although at times we were obliged to await the arrival of the water carts to keep the boxes filled, having no hose for draughting, we managed to keep up two decently sized streams, and with the assistance of the buckets, prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings.