Page 124 - An Amateur Fireman

"I don't allow he's an amateur any longer, Bob, but fit to be one of us in proper form. He saved a baby, and
came mighty nigh knocking under."

"How did he get a chance to do anything like that?"

"Slipped past me, and followed Jerry and Joe; I don't rightly know the whole of it yet. The Chief allowed it
was a medal job, though one can't be given, except to members of the Department."

"Then Seth is entitled to it, for he's on our rolls as if belongin' to us."

"We'll see that he gets all he's earned, Bob," 'Lish Davis replied, and then he conducted the boy upstairs,
insisting that he should go to bed.

"I'll be all right after a spell," Seth protested, and the driver replied grimly, in his usual harsh tone:

"That's what I'm going to make certain of, kid. Peel off your clothes and turn in if you don't want to have
trouble with me."

Seth obeyed with a laugh, and was equally tractable a few moments later when 'Lish Davis brought a glass
half full of a certain disagreeable mixture for him to drink.

Then the boy's eyelids grew heavy; he said to himself he would remain awake until Ninety-four returned, but
the thought was hardly more than formed in his mind before slumber overcame him.

It was late in the evening when he was awakened by the sound of voices near at hand, and on looking around
Seth saw, to his great surprise, Mr. Fernald talking with 'Lish Davis.

"Hello! got your eyes open again, eh?" the old instructor cried, and Seth would have arisen to his feet but that
Mr. Fernald's hand was laid heavily upon his shoulder.

"I'm all right now, sir, an' I promised to go to school with Bill an' Dan."

"It's a little late for anything of that kind now, my boy, seeing that the clock has just struck ten. What's all this
talk I hear of your showing the members of the Department how to effect a rescue?"

"It wasn't me, sir. I only got the baby out of the window, an' somebody else must have taken him from there."

"It was Jerry Walters who came up the ladder," 'Lish Davis interrupted.

"The credit of saving the child belongs to you, Seth," Mr. Fernald said, decidedly, "and I hope there'll be no
question about its being given. Tell us how it was done."

"There isn't much to tell, sir. I jest heard the baby yellin', an' went in after it. Then the smoke made me feel
silly, an' I had to keep sayin' to myself what I heard you tellin' the class, about a clear head bein' the next best
thing to a ladder, else I'd gone under before I found the rope."

"Now there's the kind of a pupil to have!" Mr. Fernald cried proudly. "There's some satisfaction in knowing
that what a man says will be remembered when the time comes that it may be of profit. You shall go regularly
into the class from this out, Seth Bartlett, whether the commissioners approve or not, and we'll find some one
else to do the odd jobs."

"Do you really think I stand a better chance of gettin' into the Department because of tryin' to pull the kid