The beer made Tommy sleep heavily , and the smoke stupified Demi , so they slept on till the fire began to scorch them , and they were in danger of being burned to death . Franz was sitting up to study , and as he left the school-room he smelt the smoke , dashed up-stairs and saw it coming in a cloud from the left wing of the house . Without stopping to call any one , he ran into the room , dragged the boys from the blazing bed , and splashed all the water he could find at hand on to the flames . It checked but did not quench the fire , and the children wakened on being tumbled topsy-turvy into a cold hall , began to roar at the top of their voices . Mrs. Bhaer instantly appeared , and a minute after Silas burst out of his room shouting , `` Fire ! '' in a tone that raised the whole house . A flock of white goblins with scared faces crowded into the hall , and for a minute every one was panic-stricken . Then Mrs. Bhaer found her wits , bade Nursey see to the burnt boys , and sent Franz and Silas down-stairs for some tubs of wet clothes which she flung on the bed , over the carpet , and up against the curtains , now burning finely , and threatening to kindle the walls . Most of the boys stood dumbly looking on , but Dan and Emil worked bravely , running to and fro with water from the bath-room , and helping to pull down the dangerous curtains . The peril was soon over , and ordering the boys all back to bed , and leaving Silas to watch lest the fire broke out again , Mrs. Bhaer and Franz went to see how the poor boys got on . Demi had escaped with one burn and a grand scare , but Tommy had not only most of his hair scorched off his head , but a great burn on his arm , that made him half crazy with the pain . Demi was soon made cosy , and Franz took him away to his own bed , where the kind lad soothed his fright and hummed him to sleep as cosily as a woman . Nursey watched over poor Tommy all night , trying to ease his misery , and Mrs. Bhaer vibrated between him and little Teddy with oil and cotton , paregoric and squills , saying to herself from time to time , as if she found great amusement in the thought , `` I always knew Tommy would set the house on fire , and now he has done it ! '' When Mr. Bhaer got home next morning he found a nice state of things . Tommy in bed , Teddy wheezing like a little grampus , Mrs. Jo quite used up , and the whole flock of boys so excited that they all talked at once , and almost dragged him by main force to view the ruins . Under his quiet management things soon fell into order , for every one felt that he was equal to a dozen conflagrations , and worked with a will at whatever task he gave them . There was no school that morning , but by afternoon the damaged room was put to rights , the invalids were better , and there was time to hear and judge the little culprits quietly . Nat and Tommy told their parts in the mischief , and were honestly sorry for the danger they had brought to the dear old house and all in it . But Dan put on his devil-may-care look , and would not own that there was much harm done . Now , of all things , Mr. Bhaer hated drinking , gambling , and swearing ; smoking he had given up that the lads might not be tempted to try it , and it grieved and angered him deeply to find that the boy , with whom he had tried to be most forbearing , should take advantage of his absence to introduce these forbidden vices , and teach his innocent little lads to think it manly and pleasant to indulge in them .
He talked long and earnestly to the assembled boys , and ended by saying , with an air of mingled firmness and regret , `` I think XXXXX is punished enough , and that scar on his arm will remind him for a long time to let these things alone .
Bhaer Demi Tommy afternoon fro goblins minute night school-room smoking