For some days every boy and girl in Meadow Brook talked about the circus, which had really been a greater success than even the boys themselves had expected.
It was a warm afternoon quite late in July--one of those days that make a boy feel lazy and inclined to stretch himself.
Bert and Harry were down back of the barn sitting on the fresh stack of hay that had just been piled up by John the stableman.
"Did you ever try smoking?" Harry asked Bert suddenly, as if he had discovered something new and interesting.
"No!" answered Bert in surprise. "Father wouldn"t let me smoke."
"Neither would pa," said Harry, "but I suppose every fellow has to try it some time. I"ve seen them make cigarettes out of corn silk."
"I suppose that is not as bad as tobacco," replied Bert.
"No," answered Harry, "there"s no harm in corn silk. Guess I"ll try to roll a cigarette."
At this Harry slid down off the hay and pulled from the fast withering corn some dry silk.
With a good handful he went back to Bert.
"I"ve got some soft paper," he said, sitting down again and beginning the task.
Bert watched with interest, but really had no idea of doing wrong.
"There!" exclaimed Harry, giving the ends of the cigarette a twist.
"How is that?"
"Pretty good," answered Bert; "looks like a real one."
"Let"s try it!" went on Harry.
"Not in the hay," exclaimed Bert; "you might drop the match."
At this Harry slid down along the side of the stack, and Bert followed.
It did seem wrong as soon as Harry struck the match, but the cigarette being only corn silk made the boys forget all the warnings never to smoke.
Harry gave a puff or two. Then he choked a little.
"Kinder strong," he spluttered. "You try it!"
Bert put the cigarette in his mouth. He drew it once or twice, then quickly tossed it aside.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "Tastes like old shoes!"
At that time John came up and piled on some more hay. The boys of course had to act as if nothing had happened, and dared not look around to find the lighted cigarette even though they wanted to very much.
"I hope it went out," Bert said, as John walked away again.
"If it didn"t it"s under the hay," said Harry, somewhat alarmed. "But I guess it"s out."
"My, look at the storm coming!" Bert exclaimed suddenly. "We ought to help John with that load of hay."
"All right," said Harry, "come along!" and with this the two boys started on a run down through the fields into the open meadow, where the dry hay was being packed up ready to put on the hay rick.
John, of course, was very glad of the help, for it spoils hay to get it wet, so all three worked hard to load up before the heavy shower should come up.
"All ready!" called John, "and no time to lose."
At this the boys jumped up and all started for the barn.
"There"s smoke!" exclaimed Harry in terror as they neared the barn.
"The barn is afire!" screamed John the next minute, almost falling from his seat on the wagon in his haste to get down.
"Quick! quick!" yelled the boys, so frightened they could hardly move.
"The hose!" called John, seeing flames now shoot out of the barn windows, "Get the hose, Harry; it"s in the coach house. I"ll get a bucket while you attach the hose."
By this time everybody was out from the house.
"Oh, mercy!" cried Aunt Sarah. "Our whole barn will be burned."
Uncle Daniel was with John now, pouring water on the flames, that were gaining in spite of all efforts to put them out.
"Where"s the firemen!" cried little Freddie, in real tears this time, for he, like all the others, was awfully frightened.
The boys had a stream from the hose now, but this too was of no account, for the flames had shot up from the big pile of dry hay!
"The firemen!" called Freddie again.
"There are no firemen in the country, Freddie," Nan told him. "We have to put the fire out ourselves."
"We can"t then," he went on, "and all the other barns will burn too."
There was indeed great danger, for the flames were getting ahead rapidly.
All this time the terrific thunderstorm was coming up.
Clap after clap of thunder rolled over the hills and made the fire look more terrible against the black sky.
"The rain!" exclaimed Uncle Daniel at last, "The rain may put it out; we can"t."
At this one terrific clap of thunder came. Then the downpour of rain.
It came like a very deluge, and as it fell on the flames it sent out steam and smoke but quickly subdued the cracking and flashing of the fire.
Everybody ran to the back porch now but John and Uncle Daniel. They went in the coach house at the side of the barn.
"How could it have caught fire?" Aunt Sarah said. But Harry and Bert were both very pale, and never said a word.