Part 22 (1/2)
Then it was that Jerry Walters and 'Lish Davis gave vent to a loud cry of triumph, for Joe Black had made the connection.
Ninety-four's tender was stretching in just as the other company reached the hydrant, beaten by no more than ten seconds.
”We've got first water, Amateur, we've got first water!” Jerry Walters shouted as if having taken leave of his senses. ”It ain't that we've never done such a thing; but this time it didn't belong to us, and we took it on your first run! If that ain't being a mascot for Ninety-four I don't know what you will call it.”
Then there was no time for congratulations or further discussion regarding the matter, for the men had work to do which could not be delayed, and Seth was about to follow Joe Black when 'Lish Davis shouted:
”Come back here, Amateur! Come back! This is no time for you to be gettin' points when you're wearing the first decent suit of clothes you ever owned. Get alongside and behave yourself. I didn't allow you was to do any work when the captain let you in on this trick.”
Under other circ.u.mstances Seth would have been grievously disappointed at being thus commanded to remain where he could see little or nothing of what was being done; but now he was so elated at the victory won that all else seemed but slight by comparison.
”I s'pose you'd have gone in there if you was wearing the finest coat ever made, eh?” the driver asked gravely, and Seth replied with another question:
”Wouldn't you, sir?”
”What I'd do don't cut any figger, Amateur. It's my business to go in there, but not yours yet a while. When the time comes that you're bound to step up with the foremost, I'm expecting to see you there, and wouldn't say a word that might hold you back. Now you're playing the gentleman, and you'll stay with me; besides, it ain't going to turn out anything after all. A curtain or some such flummery is blazing. It can't be much more.”
In this surmise 'Lish Davis was correct.
Within ten minutes after Ninety-four was ready for work word came to ”shut off,” and the men set about disconnecting the hose.
So slight had been the fire that only two members of the company were detailed to do the overhauling--that, is to thoroughly go through the building from top to bottom to make certain no spark had been left which might be fanned into a flame--and the remainder of the men were ordered back to the house.
”It's what we may call a howling success, this first run of yours, Amateur,” 'Lish Davis said as he drove leisurely homeward. ”We've beat 'em all out, had little work to do, and it wasn't much more than good practice, with a precious fine record at the bottom of it. But don't you get puffed up thinking everything is going your way just 'cause you've started in easy and slick.”
”There's no reason why I should be puffed up, Mr. Davis, except that I've had a chance to do what I've been longin' for--and that is to go out with Ninety-four as if I belonged to her.”
”_As if_ you belonged to her! That's what we allow you do, Amateur. From this out, unless it so be you turn about wonderfully and go crooked, you're one of us--an honorary member, so to speak.”
”Put down on the roll as the official mascot,” Jerry Walters cried, whereat the remainder of the company laughed heartily, and in this jovial mood was Ninety-four returned to her quarters; but Seth was not allowed to take part in the was.h.i.+ng-up lest he should soil his fine feathers.
”I'm counting on your striking in at headquarters lookin' just as fine as silk, which you couldn't do if we let you hang 'round here helping with the dirty work,” 'Lish Davis said when Seth would have claimed it as his right to be allowed to a.s.sist in the labor. ”You're to toddle straight home now, for you've hung 'round this house long enough; stay there till morning, come over here for a bit about your usual time, and then take a spell at swelling down-town until nigh on to twelve o'clock, when I'll be ready to go with you. Well, why don't you start?”
”I wanted to thank you for lettin' me run with Ninety-four the first night I had my uniform on.”
”You needn't do anything of the kind. The captain happened to be soft just as the alarm struck, else you wouldn't have got away with us. Now clear out, and take care you don't get into mischief.”
As Seth went toward his lodgings he wondered whether the people whom he met in the street were not surprised at seeing him thus clad like a fireman, and so intent was he on walking erect with his shoulders thrown well back, that he might the better look the part he hoped one day to play, that he failed to observe Dan Roberts until the latter, suddenly recognizing his partner, shouted shrilly:
”Hi! Seth! Do you mean that's really you?”
”Don't make such a row on the street, Dan, 'cause folks will wonder what's the matter. But say, I do look pretty fine, eh?”
”Fine? Why, that's no name for it, old man. You're out of sight! Where did you get 'em?”
”This is the uniform I was tellin' you 'bout. Mr. Davis gave it to me when I was over to the engine-house, an' do you know I hadn't more'n got into it when there was an alarm, an' I rode to the fire on Ninety-four jest as if I belonged to her.”
”No!”