ND SETH 8

JIP COLLINS AND THE BOYS FROM BROOKLYN 34

JIP AND THE FIRE-ALARM--_Title-page_ 40

SETH CATCHES THE HORSE 68

SAM GOING TO PHILADELPHIA 136

THE FIRE-ENGINE GOING OUT 152

SETH RESCUES THE BABY 272

THE BLOW-OUT 298

PRESENTING THE MEDALS 322

AN AMATEUR FIREMAN.

CHAPTER I.

THE AMATEUR.

"I ain't sayin' as how I could run a whole fire, same as some of the
chiefs do; but when it comes to drivin' an engine, Dan Roberts, an'
doin' it in time to get the first water, or layin' hose, I wouldn't
knuckle down to the biggest man in the Department."

"Now see here, Seth Bartlett, what's the sense of talkin' that way? It
would be a good deal better, an' I ain't the only one who says it, if
you'd stick right to shinin', an' stop playin' fireman, for that's 'bout
the biggest part of the work you do."

"Do you s'pose I count on shinin' boots for a livin' all my life?"

"You've got to make a better fist at it than you have done for a year or
more, else you'll never get into anythin' else. I tell you what it is,
Seth Bartlett, when a man wants to hire a boy, he ain't pickin' out the
feller that's failed up two or three times over; but he generally looks
for the one what's makin' a go of it, whether it's shinin' or sellin'
papers."

"I ain't sayin' but you're right, Dan, an' I s'pose it's a good thing
for you to keep right on rememberin'; but it's different with me. I
don't count on any one man hirin' me when I strike out for somethin'
better'n shinin'."

"Oh, you don't, eh? What little game _have_ you got? Goin' to run a
bank, or keep a hotel, or do somethin' like that?"

"You think you're funny, but you ain't. I'm goin' into the Fire
Department when the right time comes, an' don't you make any mistake
about it."

Dan laughed loud and long at this announcement, and Seth gazed at him in
grim silence until the explosion of mirth was somewhat subsided, when he
said sharply:

"I guess trade must have been pretty good with you to-day, else you
wouldn't be feelin' so terrible funny."

"Well, it hasn't. I got stuck on four _Heralds_ this mornin', an' five
_Expresses_ to-night. That comes pretty near cleanin' off all the
profit