Page 140 - An Amateur Fireman

"I'm owin' Ninety-four so much, Mr. Davis, that it'll be terrible if I don't get an appointment after all, an' it
wouldn't--- "

"You can stop right where you are. This here uniform that Jerry is fetching ain't charged up against you, nor it
never will be. We reckon on having the right to give a present the day you graduate, and if it'll make you feel
half as good to wear it as it will us to see you in it, we'll be a mighty jolly crowd to-morrow."

By this time Jerry had returned with the garments over his arm, and Seth exclaimed as he saw them:

"Why there's a helmet, an' you've had brass buttons put on the coat, Mr. Davis!"

"Sure; the helmet belongs to the clothes, and on every button you'll see the letters 'N. Y. F. D.'"

"But only one who was really in the Department could wear them."

"I reckon you can tackle that kind of a job to-morrow, and if it so be that you get thrown out because of not
being up in the drill, it won't take long to cut them off."

"Oh, if I should fail!" and the tears came into Seth's eyes despite all his efforts to keep them back.

"You will for a fact, if you get nervous over it. A clear head, forgetfulness of everything but the drill, and
Ninety-four's kid will have an appointment, or the promise of one, before this time to-morrow night."

Then 'Lish Davis proposed to walk to headquarters with the boy in order to make certain he went directly to
bed; the new uniform was wrapped carefully in paper, for it was not proposed that Seth should put it on until
the following morning, and then every member of the company shook hands with "their kid," each giving him
some bit of good advice.

During the walk the old driver cautioned Seth again and again not to speculate upon possible failure; but to
believe he would surely succeed, and when the two parted, 'Lish Davis said feelingly:

"You're a good boy, Seth, and while every one of Ninety-four's crew is your friend, you're dearer to me than
the whole boiling of them. I'm proud of what you have done, and will do to-morrow. God love you, my lad."

Then the driver turned away abruptly, as if there was some particular reason why he wished to hide his face,
and as Seth wiped the moisture from his eyes lest perchance a tear should fall on the new uniform, he
whispered to himself:

"God must love me, even if I am sich a terrible duffer, else He'd never let me run up against Ninety-four's
company."

During the forenoon of the next day Seth wandered around the gymnasium trying to act upon the advice given
by his friends in the matter of "keeping cool," and then came the time to put on the new uniform, for he had
been assured by Mr. Fernald that it was perfectly proper for him to wear the helmet and the brass buttons,
even though he was not a regular member of the corps.

When all was ready for the march to Riverside Drive something occurred which caused the boy considerable
uneasiness, for, instead of setting out with the members of the corps, he, with six others were ordered to fall
into line by themselves.

Fifty firemen, picked members of the Department, ranged themselves on either side, in advance and behind as
an escort, and no less a person than Chief Bonner himself took a station at their head.