y've got only our word for it, and won't count very much on that till
they've found it out for themselves. It may take a long time, and then
again it mayn't; but every boy, whatever business he goes into, is bound
to prove himself before he's thought to be of much account. It'll be the
same at headquarters. Turn to, Amateur, the same as you've done since we
knew you, and before a year goes by I reckon on seeing you in the
drill."

"Are the men always practising?"

"Not every minute of the time, you know, because it comes precious nigh
being hard work; but you can count on their doing all a man ought to do
in the twelve hours. When it's storming, or too cold to work in the
yard, you'll find them 'ere grown-up scholars in the gymnasium on the
fifth floor, at work coupling or uncoupling hose; learning how to fight
cellar fires, or practising with the tin-cutters for opening roofs.
They're told about battering-rams, axes, hooks, and, finally, everything
that we use, until the man who graduates up at headquarters is fit to
handle a company all by himself, save, of course, that he lacks
experience. Now, if it so happens that one don't learn quick enough, or
shows he hasn't got a good head for the business, he's switched right
off, and that ends his chance of getting into the Department. Of course
kids are never taken on, and it ain't held out to you that you're going
there 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 please
them at headquarters there'll be no voice raised agin your practising
now and again with the others, and then is the time that everything
depends on you.

"You've run to fires for the sake of getting points; but never had a
chance to see whether you could carry them out or not. Now the
opportunity is coming; if it's in you to do the work, why, when you're
sizable we shan't have any trouble in getting you taken on probation,
providing, of course, you can pass both examinations, and about that
we've got to talk later. I don't want you to think a fireman is a
regular idiot when it comes to book-learning. The older hands of us may
be 'way off on such things; but them as goes through the civil-service
examination have got to be pretty well posted, an' I'm counting on your
working into some