The burning wood hissed and smouldered, and Oswald fell back, almost choked with the smoke.

But at once he caught up the other wet jacket and put it on another place, and of course it did the trick as he had known it would do.

But it was a long job, and the smoke in his eyes made the young hero obliged to let Dicky and Denny take a turn as they had bothered to do from the first.

At last all was safe; the devouring element was conquered.

We covered up the beastly bonfire with clay to keep it from getting into mischief again, and then Alice said-- 'Now we must go and tell.' 'Of course,' Oswald said shortly.