cried Mr. Brown , as he saw at a glance what the danger was . Ben vanished ; and , before his father got the garden hose rigged , he was on the roof with a dripping blanket over the worst spot . Mrs. Moss had her wits about her in a minute , and ran to put in the fireboard , and stop the draught . Then , stationing Randa to watch that the falling cinders did no harm inside , she hurried off to help Mr. Brown , who might not know where things were . But he had roughed it so long , that he was the man for emergencies , and seemed to lay his hand on whatever was needed , by a sort of instinct . Finding that the hose was too short to reach the upper part of the roof , he was on the roof in a jiffy with two pails of water , and quenched the most dangerous spots before much harm was done . This he kept up till the chimney burned itself out , while Ben dodged about among the gables with a watering pot , lest some stray sparks should be over-looked , and break out afresh . While they worked there , Betty ran to and fro with a dipper of water , trying to help ; and Sancho barked violently , as if he objected to this sort of illumination . But where was Bab , who revelled in flurries ? No one missed her till the fire was out , and the tired , sooty people met to talk over the danger just escaped . `` Poor Miss Celia would n't have had a roof over her head , if it had n't been for you , Mr. Brown , '' said Mrs. Moss , sinking into a kitchen chair , pale with the excitement . `` It would have burnt lively , but I guess it 's all right now . Keep an eye on the roof , Ben , and I 'll step up garret and see if all 's safe there . Did n't you know that chimney was foul , ma'am ? '' asked the man , as he wiped the perspiration off his grimy face . `` Randa said it was , and I ` in surprised she made a fire there , '' began Mrs. Moss , looking at the maid , who just then came in with a pan full of soot . `` Bless you , ma'am , I never thought of such a thing , nor Katy neither . That naughty Bab must have done it , and so do n't dar ` st to show herself , '' answered the irate Randa , whose nice room was in a mess . `` Where is the child ? '' asked her mother ; and a hunt was immediately instituted by Betty and Sancho , while the elders cleared up .
Anxious Betty searched high and low , called and cried , but all in vain ; and was about to sit down in despair , when XXXXX made a bolt into his new kennel and brought out a shoe with a foot in it while a doleful squeal came from the straw within .
Bab Ben Betty Brown Celia Katy Moss Sancho fire minute