CHAPTER X.
AT HEADQUARTERS.
When he first saw Seth in his new uniform a certain feeling of envy cameinto Dan Roberts's heart; but he was not a fellow who could give himselfup to this kind of thoughts very long, and within a few moments all thathad passed away, leaving in its stead rejoicings that his partner hadtaken such rapid strides toward the desired end.
Before they had gained the seclusion of their own room Dan was his oldself once more, and from that moment it is safe to say he was neveragain envious of Seth's good fortune, but sufficiently wise to profit byhis partner's example.
When they entered the house, Mrs. Hanson, who must have been informed by'Lish Davis of the expected change in Seth's condition, came to the doorto see the boy in his uniform, and when she ceased her words of praisehis cheeks were glowing red.
"You'll cut a terrible swath down-town to-morrow morning," Dan saidsagely when they were alone. "Here's a woman that never saw either of ustill yesterday, an' she goes pretty nigh crazy over the way you look. Ireckon Sam Barney would have a reg'lar fit if he should run up againstyou now."
To Seth's mind there was nothing wrong in admiring himself, or listeningto words of praise from others, and he enjoyed to the utmost thesespeculations of his partner until Master Roberts, wearied of gazing atthe amateur fireman, hinted broadly that if there was to be a spread setout in honor of the uniform, now was the time to "start her goin'."
"How much did that lay-out cost you last night?"
"Twenty-three cents."
"That's pretty stiff to pay for one supper; but it ain't every day I geta uniform, an' I guess I can stand it this once. We shan't spreadourselves in the same way ag'in, though," Seth said thoughtfully,speaking half to himself, and then taking some coins from his pocket, headded, "You go out and buy the stuff. I'll wait here."
"Why don't you come with me?"
"I'm 'fraid if Ninety-four's men should see me they'd think I wasrunnin' 'round swellin'."
"Well, s'posen they should? Haven't you got the right? Wouldn't most anyfeller who's got as near into the Department as you have?"
"Mr. Davis said I was to go down-town to-morrow mornin', an' perhapsthat's all he thought I ought'er do, so I'll hang on here instead ofgoin' out ag'in."
Dan was not averse to making the purchases, and so deeply occupied wasSeth with pleasant thoughts that it seemed to him Master Roberts had nomore than left the room before he returned laden with packages.
As on the previous night he was accompanied by Bill Dean, who exclaimedin a tone of satisfaction as he entered the room:
"It seems like as if I'm allers 'round when you fellers are puttin' upswell lay-outs, don't it?" Then getting a full view of Seth for thefirst time he cried in an accent of unquestionable admiration, "Well,I'll be jiggered! Dan said you was lookin' mighty fine; but I neverthought you could flash up like this! Why, you're a reg'lar firemanalready."
"You wouldn't think that if you could hear what Ninety-four's men say,an', besides, there's no brass buttons on this uniform, you know."
"I ain't certain but it looks better without 'em. Anyhow, you're way upin G."
"He ought'er know it by this time," Dan added with a laugh. "Everybodyhas been tellin' him so, an' he come mighty near paralyzin' Miss Hanson.She jest threw up both hands when we opened the door."
"Well, I don't wonder; but say, I didn't come round to sponge off youfellers, 'cause I never thought of your havin' two such lay-outs oneright after the other. I didn't know but you'd like to hear how we'dleft Jip, an' then agin I wanted to talk 'bout bunkin' in here with youfellers."
"This is Seth's spread; but you'll hold on an' get your share of it nowyou're here," and Dan began to arrange the food on the table in the mosttempting manner possible.
"Of course you'll stop," Seth added, "an' even if you'd known we wasgoin' to kind of celebrate, what would be the harm in comin' 'round an'gettin' some?"
"Well, I don't want you to think I'm playin' it on you, that's all; butit struck me a little while ago that if we could make a trade with thewoman what runs this house, it would come easier on all hands. Now, thatbed is plenty big enough for three, an' it ain't likely you'll be heremuch of the time, except to sleep, so why wouldn't it be a good idea tosee how much extra she'll charge to let me in with you fellers?"
Seth knew of no good reason why Bill should not be allowed to sharetheir palatial quarters, providing Mrs. Hanson did not object.
He knew Master Dean to be an industrious, well-intentioned boy, whosecompany, now that he was to be absent from home so much, might bedesirable to Dan, and at once signified his willingness that thelandlady should be consulted.
"I reckon Dan will be lonesome here when I'm gone so much, an' perhapsit would be a good plan. S'pose you two fellers go down an' see whatshe's got to say."
"Why don't you tackle her?" Master Roberts suggested. "She'll be so busylookin' at your uniform that perhaps you could make a better trade."
Seth hesitated only an instant, and then went down-stairs.
When he returned his companions knew from the expression on his face,before he made a report, that the mission had been successful.
"She says if we keep quiet an' don't have a crowd hangin' round, or toomany visitors, that we needn't pay any more for three than we do fortwo. I didn't think that would be jest the square thing, an' besides, wecouldn't divide half a dollar up in three parts, so I told her we'd callit sixty cents, an' that will make the lodgin' come mighty cheap for allhands of us."
"When are you willin' I should come?" Bill Dean asked eagerly.
"Whenever you want to."
"Then I'll start right in to-night an' pay the same as you fellers do,for you've only got one day ahead of me."
And thus the matter was settled to the manifest delight of the newlodger.
The feast was an unusually satisfactory one on this particular evening.
Seth was as happy as a boy well could be because of the good fortunewhich had come to him through Ninety-four's men; Bill believed himselfunusually lucky in having secured such desirable lodgings at anexceedingly low price; and Master Roberts had suddenly conceived an ideawhich seemed to him a remarkably happy one.
Not until his hunger had been appeased did Dan give words to his newtrain of thoughts, and then he announced with the air of one who hasmade a great discovery:
"If Seth hadn't laid himself right out to get into the Department, an'stuck to it whether the fellers were makin' fun of him or not, hewouldn't be wearin' that uniform now, would he? Course not. If I keep onsellin' papers an' don't try to do anything else, I'll never get someother kind of a job, will I? Course not. Now, I've made up my mind toown a store on Third Avenoo where I'll sell papers, an' books, an' sichtruck, an' keep a lot of kids to do the outside work."
"An' you can do it, too, Dan, if you stick right at it," Seth repliedconfidently.
"Well, she goes from this out! I shan't spend any more money buyin'swell grub same's this is, an' if I don't get down-town every mornin' bydaylight it'll be 'cause I'm broke up so bad I can't move."
Then the feasters discussed this new idea of Dan's, approaching it fromevery point of view, until the Third Avenue store was to Master Robertsan accomplished fact; nothing stood between it and him save hard workand a strict adherence to his purpose.
After this subject was exhausted a certain amount of their attention wasgiven to Jip Collins's affairs. They speculated briefly as to what SamBarney might be doing at that particular moment, or regarding mattersconnected with his departure, and it was not yet nine o'clock when allthree were lying comfortably in bed, sleeping peacefully.
Dan awakened shortly after daybreak, and, strong in his purpose of oneday owning a Third Avenue store, lost no time in making ready forbusiness.
He and Bill Dean started down-town before sunrise, and Seth made his wayto Ninety-four's house, where he busied himself in doing such work ascame to his hand.
Before seven o'clock he had blackened the boo
ts of all the men, sweptthe floors, and groomed one of the horses.
'Lish Davis came down just as this last task was performed, andobserving what had been done said gravely:
"Look here, Amateur, we don't count on your doing up all the odd jobs'round this place, else the rest of us will rust out for lack ofexercise."
"I got 'round pretty early, sir, an' 'd rather be at work than layin'still."
"After this noon you won't complain of having too much spare time onyour hands. Been to breakfast?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then clear out an' go down-town, 'cause this is likely to be your lastday off for quite a spell. I'll look after the other horses."
Seth would have been better pleased to remain in the engine-house two orthree hours longer, but 'Lish Davis's injunctions, although given as apermission rather than a command, were not to be disobeyed, and withoutprotesting he left the building.
It is hardly necessary to attempt to describe the reception accorded theamateur fireman, when he arrived at Printing House Square.
Every bootblack or newsboy in that section of the city had heard fromBill or Dan the fullest possible particulars regarding the new uniform,and all were expecting to see a great change in Seth's appearance, butnot prepared for such a decided transformation.
During at least two hours business was practically suspended, and Sethwas literally forced to remain on exhibition because of the throng whichsurrounded him.
Many times did the policemen in the vicinity disperse the gathering; butthe admiring ones reassembled immediately afterward, regardless of thethreats of the officers, and thus the Society for the Admiration of SethBartlett was virtually in continuous session.
Those who had laughed the loudest because of his ambition were now themost extravagant in their praises, and there was not a boy on PrintingHouse Square who did not realize as never before how much might beaccomplished by persistent effort. Until eleven o'clock Seth "visited"with his friends and acquaintances, and then made his way up to keep theappointment with 'Lish Davis.
The driver, clad in his best uniform, was awaiting the boy's arrival,and cried good-naturedly when the latter appeared:
"Well, Amateur, you've spread yourself, eh? Been swelling all themorning till your head is so big that you need to borrow a new cap?"
"There's no danger of that yet a while, Mr. Davis. I'll wait till I seehow I get along at headquarters before puffin' myself out very much."
"That's a good idea, Amateur, though at the same time I believe you'llpull through in great shape, providing you hang on as you've done sinceI knew you. Now, if it so be you've tended to all your business and areready to duf into the work, we'll mosey along toward Sixty-seventhStreet."
"The sooner I get to work the quicker we'll know whether the folks upthere are goin' to let me stay," Seth replied, and with words expressiveof kindly cheer and friendly wishes ringing in his ears, the Amateur setout on this his first real step toward a position in the Department.
"I don't want them as you'll meet at headquarters to think you're adummy, Amateur, and it's in my mind to give you a little outline, so tospeak, of this 'ere school, after which there'll be no need of yourshowing ignorance by asking questions. In the first place it ain'tcounted on that this 'ere branch of the service is to educate anybodyand everybody that may come along. It's for such men as are admitted tothe Department on trial, 'probationary firemen' chiefly; but the oldhands have had a deal of good out of it.
"This plan was started long about '83 for no other reason than to showthe men who were then in the service how to use the scaling ladder whichhad just been introduced, and the idea seemed to work so well that itgradually grew, kind of swelled out, so to speak, till it became areg'lar school. First off, before the new headquarters was built, thecity hired an old sugar warehouse on One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Streetand North River, where the men were shown how to use scaling ladders anda life net, and I've been there when one class counted up sixtyscholars, all of us old hands at the business. Remember this, Amateur,you'll never be too old to go to school, leastways that's what I'vefound.
"After the new headquarters building was opened in '87 the sugarwarehouse was given up, and we firemen had what you might almost call acollege. There's a yard at the back of the building nigh on to a hundredfeet square, which is put up in such shape that water can be used thesame as you would at a fire, and here drills go on like this, forinstance: An alarm is sent out for a certain company when they leastexpect it, and the men find themselves called into headquarters to showwhat they can do. All that you're going to see, lad, and talking aboutgetting points, why, you can learn more there in one exhibition drillthan you could at forty fires, 'cause you're understanding just how thething is going to be done.
"You'll find when one of these unexpected drills comes off that theengine is run into the yard, hose coupled on to the hydrant, dragged upto the top of the building, water started and shut off, ladders used,and in fact the whole business gone through the same as if a hundredlives were in danger."
"Do the men really work as hard there as they do at a fire?" Seth asked.
"Do they, Amateur? Well, now, you can be mighty certain they do, 'causeit's owing to what they show at such times that gives them their rating.Now, for instance, Ninety-four's company is in the first grade;Eighty-six, that we bucked up against on that storage warehouse, is inthe second grade; and there ain't a great many third grade nowadays,'cause the men are drilled too well. And here's a point I want you tounderstand, Amateur: In case some man comes along and tries to tell youthat the Department in this city or that is better than what we've gothere, stick straight up for the fact that the New York Fire Departmentheads the world, and you won't be a grain away from the truth. Taking itall in all I'm free to say, open and above board, that you can't find aDepartment anywhere that can beat this, and I'm reckoning pretty strongthat you wouldn't find one to equal us, taking all things intoconsideration.
"Now, we'll suppose you was old enough, and stout enough, and pluckyenough, and knew enough to pass a civil-service and a physicalexamination for admission to the Department. You wouldn't be put intoregular service, but sent up to headquarters, where we're going now, anddrilled in the yard, raising ladders, tossing 'em 'round, setting 'emup, and keeping at that kind of work till you could handle one thesame's you might a knife or fork. Now, considering the fact that thelightest of 'em weighs twenty and the heaviest sixty-five pounds, with alength of from fourteen to twenty feet, you can see that you've got tobe pretty nimble before getting through the first lesson, eh?
"Then we'll allow you've satisfied them as are giving the lesson. You'llbe set at climbing up to the first window to start with; after you cando that, to the second, and so on till you've got to the top of thebuilding by aid of the scaling ladders. It ain't such a mighty easything when you come to do it yourself as it looks while you're watchingsomebody else; about the time you're half-way up the hair on your headwill come pretty nigh to standing on end; but bless you, Amateur, a mansoon gets over that, till shinning outside of a building don't seemmore'n child's play.
"Then there's the drill of building a chain--making a line of laddersfrom the roof to the street--and getting from the upper window out overthe cornice. Straddling sills is another lesson you'll have to learn,till you can get astride of one, and by holding on with your knees,work as handy as on the ground. Standing on sills; working thelife-line; climbing crosswise so's to step from one window and go to thenext story on a slant, instead of straight up; using the life net byjumping down, or holding it for others to leap into--and if it sochances that you are ever set to holding one, Amateur, my boy, you'llfind it ain't child's play. I've heard it said that when a man weighingone hundred and fifty pounds jumps from the sixth floor of a building,he strikes the net with a force of nigh on to eighteen hundred pounds,and I tell you them as are holding it have to keep scratching."
"Do you reckon I'll be allowed to practise with the men, Mr. Davis?"Seth asked as the driver
paused an instant.
"I'm counting on it, lad; but don't make up your mind it'll be rightaway. We of Ninety-four's company believe we know what kind of a boy youare, because we've tried you, so to speak; but up here where we're goingthey've got only our word for it, and won't count very much on that tillthey've found it out for themselves. It may take a long time, and thenagain it mayn't; but every boy, whatever business he goes into, is boundto prove himself before he's thought to be of much account. It'll be thesame at headquarters. Turn to, Amateur, the same as you've done since weknew you, and before a year goes by I reckon on seeing you in thedrill."
"Are the men always practising?"
"Not every minute of the time, you know, because it comes precious nighbeing hard work; but you can count on their doing all a man ought to doin the twelve hours. When it's storming, or too cold to work in theyard, you'll find them 'ere grown-up scholars in the gymnasium on thefifth floor, at work coupling or uncoupling hose; learning how to fightcellar fires, or practising with the tin-cutters for opening roofs.They're told about battering-rams, axes, hooks, and, finally, everythingthat we use, until the man who graduates up at headquarters is fit tohandle a company all by himself, save, of course, that he lacksexperience. Now, if it so happens that one don't learn quick enough, orshows he hasn't got a good head for the business, he's switched rightoff, and that ends his chance of getting into the Department. Of coursekids are never taken on, and it ain't held out to you that you're goingthere on probation. We've got a job for you as a boy in the building,that's all, but with what little influence Ninety-four's men can use,and some thrown in from the other companies that we're friendly with,the idea is to slip you through on the sly, so to speak. If you pleasethem at headquarters there'll be no voice raised agin your practisingnow and again with the others, and then is the time that everythingdepends on you.
"You've run to fires for the sake of getting points; but never had achance to see whether you could carry them out or not. Now theopportunity is coming; if it's in you to do the work, why, when you'resizable we shan't have any trouble in getting you taken on probation,providing, of course, you can pass both examinations, and about thatwe've got to talk later. I don't want you to think a fireman is aregular idiot when it comes to book-learning. The older hands of us maybe 'way off on such things; but them as goes through the civil-serviceexamination have got to be pretty well posted, an' I'm counting on yourworking into some night-school."
Seth had listened attentively to the old driver's words; but there was acloud on his face when mention was made of the fact that a fireman musthave a certain amount of book-learning.
"I don't know hardly anythin' at all, Mr. Davis," he said in a mournfultone.
"You can read, can't you?"
"Yes, if the words ain't too long."
"And write?"
"Well, I wouldn't like to say I really could, 'cause it's just puttin'down letters same as they're printed."
"Didn't you ever go to school, Amateur?"
"No, sir."
"Why not?"
"'Cause I've allers had to hustle for my livin,' an' it never seemed asthough I had the time; but now since you've begun to talk I know I mighthave done it evenings, instead of hangin' 'round with the fellers, orsleepin'. If I'd known folks had to go to school before they could befiremen, I'd been studyin' these last two years."
"I believe you, my boy, and if you had put into the work at booksanywhere near as hard as you have on what you call 'picking up points,'you'd have been pretty well along by this time. Howsomever, we canremedy that, though we can't call back lost time. Jerry Walters and I'llfigger up what's to be done, and explain further as soon as we'vesettled matters, 'cause you see, Amateur, you belong to Ninety-four, an'we ain't of the mind to have you fail in what you set out after."
"Shall I have any chance to see you?"
"Bless you, lad, yes. You'll be through between six and seven o'clock,and we'll be glad to have you drop in any evening till you set aboutstudying; then I allow we'll fix up some place so's you can be away fromyour partner and his friends. We won't have any soft talk after we getinside, so I'll say it all now. Keep your upper lip stiff, Amateur;don't get down at the heel if them as are in charge seem to bear on alittle too hard; remember that all hands of Ninety-four's company arecounting on you to make good their words, and be a man. Unless we get acall you'll see us to-night, so there ain't need of saying very muchmore just now."
By this time they had arrived at headquarters, and 'Lish Davis enteredthe building with the air of one who has no especial interest in whoevermay be following him.
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