"There was an amusing thing happened one day, down in the field. Father and I were plowing with Nell. We had tied Prince to a tree, the other side of the knoll we were working on, and supposed he was fast, but to our surprise, just as we turned, after finishing a long furrow, we confronted the gentleman, tree and all, standing before us in a weak and fainting condition. He had struggled until he had uprooted the whole business, and was so used up in consequence, that he could hardly stagger, much less go into his usual hysterics over Nell. She looked as amazed as we did, and I've no doubt gave him a sound curtain lecture on his folly that night.
"One day father and Ned took Prince down into the field. Steve and I stayed up near the house, working around the vineyard. Nelly was in the stable.
"The morning was half gone, when all at once Steve happened to turn around, and look down the hill.
"'Gosh, Jack!' he exclaimed, 'the barn's afire.'
"I gave one startled look, and then ran for the hose.
"'Get Nelly out!' I cried to Steve; but after a second look, I called, 'No, don't you do it! Let her go! it's too late!'
"'I won't let her go!' he shouted; 'do you think I'll stand by and see Nelly burned to death!'
"'You'd be a fool to go in now! Look at that stable! Here! Stand back! Have you lost your wits?'
"'Let me go!' he cried; 'Jack, get out of the way!'
"But I threw him down and held him. I was bigger than he; older, and cooler-headed too.
"'There, I give in,' he said in a moment; 'it's wicked to lose time this way. Let me up, Jack, and we'll get the hose. I promise you I won't go in.'
"We ran for the hose, and turned on all the water we could command, and by this time mother and the servant girl had come from the house, and were helping us.
"We could hear Nelly struggling in her stall, and I tell you it made us sick! Unluckily we had chained her, in anticipation of her trying to get loose, and go after Prince. She'd never been left at home this way before, and we'd taken extra pains to secure her.
"The stable doors were fastened by a heavy bolt; again and again I tried to push it back, but it was so fiery hot I couldn't touch it, and when I tried to hammer it, the flames drove me off.