"Listen!" Mother answered.

Then Johnnie Jones heard a sound that made him clap his hands with joy.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Galloping down the street came the splendid big fire-horses drawing the hook-and-ladder. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Down the street came the fire-engine, the hose carriage, and the salvage corps wagon.

Quick as a flash the firemen saw Mother and the children at the window!

Quicker than you can think, they had two long ladders placed against the two window sills. Then two strong firemen climbed up. One of them helped Mother and the baby to reach the ground, the other looked after Johnnie Jones.

Maggie and Kathie did not wait to be helped, they stepped down the ladder faster than one would have thought possible, and reached the ground first of all.

Jack did not know how to use a ladder, so he was thrown out of the window by one fireman, and caught in a blanket by two others. He wasn't hurt in the least, though Johnnie Jones had been worried for fear he might be, but ran straight to his little master.

"If it had not been for Jack's telling us there was a fire, we might not have been able to leave the house so quickly," said Mother, as she caressed the dog.

Elizabeth's mother, who lived across the street, asked Mrs. Jones and the children to come into her house. They went, and stood at the window watching the fire until it was out.

It was a beautiful sight, for the flames flashed out of the thick smoke and made the whole neighborhood bright. Poor Mother felt too sad at seeing her home burn to enjoy the beauty of the fire, but as it was the very first fire he had ever seen, Johnnie Jones did enjoy it, although he was sorry, too.

"Never mind, Mother dear," he said, trying to comfort her. "Father will build us a new house if this one burns down."

All this time the brave firemen were working to extinguish the fire.

They had unhitched the horses, and tied them, at a safe distance from the house. Some of them had fixed the hose to the engine and were pumping great streams of water onto the flames. Others were inside the house fighting the fire; and the salvage men were trying to save the furniture and pictures and curtains.

Soon the flames became lower, and lower, until at last they died away, and the fire was out. Then the horses were hitched again to the engine, and hose carriage, and the other wagons. The whistle in the engine was blown, and all went back to the engine houses where they belonged. Not as they had come, in a swift gallop, but slowly, for now men and horses were tired.

Soon the neighborhood was quiet again, and everyone returned to bed. The Jones's pa.s.sed the rest of the night in Elizabeth's house.

Next morning, they drove to Grandmother's home to visit her until they could go into the country to spend the summer.

When Father came home he was very much grieved to find his home so badly burned, but he felt very grateful to Jack for arousing the family, and he was very thankful to the brave firemen and good horses, for coming so quickly and doing their work so well. He was distressed that he had not been at home, to save Mother from worry and care, but he was glad to hear that Johnnie Jones had been a help and comfort to her, and had behaved as a manly boy should.

Johnnie Jones and f.a.n.n.y

Johnnie Jones enjoyed the country because he could be out of doors all the day long, and because there were so many interesting things to do.

This summer he liked it even better than ever before, for Little Brother was old enough to run about and play with him, in the soft gra.s.s under the trees.

Then there was f.a.n.n.y.

f.a.n.n.y was a small brown pony which lived in the country all the year round, and which had belonged to Johnnie Jones ever since he was a tiny boy only two years old. The little pony and the little boy loved each other, and spent a great deal of their time together. Each morning, directly after breakfast, Johnnie Jones and Little Brother would go down to the field where f.a.n.n.y and the horses lived, taking with them an apple or some sugar.

"Here, f.a.n.n.y! Here, f.a.n.n.y!" they would call.

As soon as she heard their voices, the little brown pony would come running to them and eat out of their hands, always being very careful not to nip their fingers. Then she would poke her nose into Johnnie Jones's pockets to see if there were anything hidden away, that was good to eat. She was so sweet tempered and gentle that she would let the children do anything with her that pleased them, and often romped with Johnnie Jones like a big dog.

About nine o'clock, Sam, the hired man, would hitch f.a.n.n.y to a small cart, and Johnnie Jones would take Mother, or Maggie, and Little Brother, for a drive. Johnnie Jones could both drive and ride so very well that he was often allowed to go out with f.a.n.n.y quite alone.

One morning, after he had taken the others home, he started to the village shop to buy some b.u.t.ter. On the road he met a boy named Charley, who asked to go with him.

"All right! Jump in," Johnnie Jones told him, glad to have company.

"Let me drive?" Charley asked. So Johnnie Jones changed places with him, and gave him the reins.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The little brown pony would eat out of their hands]

Charley was older than Johnnie Jones and considered himself a much better driver, but he did not know and love horses in the same way that Johnnie Jones did, though he had always lived in the country.

"Watch me!" he said. "I'll show you how to make a pony run."

Before Johnnie Jones could stop him, he seized the whip and with it gave f.a.n.n.y a sharp cut. The little pony had never before been whipped, and was so surprised and hurt, that she began to run as fast as ever she could. b.u.mp! b.u.mp! She dragged the cart over rocks and stones so fast that the little boys were almost thrown out on the road.

Johnnie Jones was just as surprised as f.a.n.n.y.

"Give me that whip," he said to Charley. "I don't allow anyone to use it on my pony. You've hurt her and made her run away. Give me the reins. I will never again let you drive."

"Leave me alone," Charley answered. "I'll teach her a good lesson."

He struck f.a.n.n.y once more, and then began pulling on the reins with all his might, hurting the pony's tender mouth, and making her toss her head and even kick.

Johnnie Jones was very angry and commanded Charley to give him the reins. Charley was beginning to be frightened, so he obeyed.

"Whoa! f.a.n.n.y, don't be afraid," Johnnie Jones said to the little pony, as he took the reins and held them loosely in his hands.

As soon as f.a.n.n.y heard the voice of her little master, she stopped running, and soon stood still. Then Johnnie Jones jumped out of the cart and began to pat her. f.a.n.n.y was very much ashamed of herself, and rubbed her nose against his sleeve, as if to say: "I am sorry, Johnnie Jones, but that boy surprised me. I'll never act so again."

Johnnie Jones drove on to the shop and then back home, but he was so angry with Charley that he would not let him ride any further.

"I don't like you any more," he told him.

And I do not blame Johnnie Jones, do you? For I could not like a boy who would be so cowardly and unkind as to hurt an animal.

f.a.n.n.y and Little Brother

One day, Elizabeth came with her mother to spend the day in the country with Mrs. Jones and the little boys. The children had enjoyed themselves very much, playing all the morning. Just before lunch they ran down to the field where f.a.n.n.y and Tim, the carriage horse, were, to pick some wild flowers for the table. Little Brother was with them, and while the others were gathering the flowers, he toddled away, and lay down in the tall gra.s.s.

The two mothers were sitting under the trees near the house. From where they sat they could see the children in the field.

"Aren't you afraid to let the children play there where the horses are?"

Elizabeth's mother asked Mrs. Jones.