ould not come; instead of making what he considered a worthy
reply, he said, and to him it sounded lame and poor:

"I'll do my best so's you won't be ashamed of me."

"That's all we're asking for, Amateur, and to-morrow noon at twelve
o'clock I've got leave of absence to take you up to headquarters. You're
your own boss till then, and you'd better make the most of the holiday,
'cause it'll be a long spell before you get another."

"There's only one thing I'd like to say, sir, an' that I s'pose I
mustn't think of."

"Do you mean you're hankering to run to a fire with them good clothes
on?"

"I'd like to shift 'em an' go, sir, for----"

At that instant the click caused by the opening of the electric circuit
in the alarm was heard, followed by the striking of the joker.

The weight fell--the lever flew up--the horses were released, and before
Seth could have spoken, even if he had had anything to say, the animals
were under the swinging harness, while every man stood at his station.

"Get on, Amateur; get on alongside the engineer. This may be the last
time you'll run with Ninety-four for quite a spell, and I'm minded to
give you the advantage of it," the captain cried as 'Lish Davis sprang
to his seat, snapped into place the catch on his belt, and released the
harness.

Almost before the last word was spoken Seth had leaped to the side of
the engineer, and never a boy in New York City was more proud than he,
when the ponderous engine, drawn by the plunging horses, left the
building with a rattle and roar which could have been heard blocks away.

In a uniform hardly to be distinguished from the members of the company
the Amateur was riding to his first fire in what seemed to him like an
official capacity.

One portion of his dream was being realized, and he said to himself as
he clung to the rail, swung to and fro by the swaying of the ponderous
machine, that when the time came for him to be regularly enrolled in the
Department he would use every effort toward being assigned to
Ninety-four.

"You are our mascot, Amateur," Jerry Walters, who stood next to Seth,
shouted at the full strength of his lungs in order that the words might
be heard above the clanging of the gong and rattle of wheels, "and if
you're to bring us good luck we shall get first water to-night."

[Illustration: THE FIRE-ENGINE GOING OUT. _Page_ 152.]

Seth's heart sank. For the moment he believed Walters was in earnest,
and knew full well