Page 77 - An Amateur Fireman

that when a man weighing one hundred and fifty pounds jumps from the sixth floor of a building, he strikes
the net with a force of nigh on to eighteen hundred pounds, and I tell you them as are holding it have to keep
scratching."

"Do you reckon I'll be allowed to practise with the men, Mr. Davis?" Seth asked as the driver paused an
instant.

"I'm counting on it, lad; but don't make up your mind it'll be right away. We of Ninety-four's company believe
we know what kind of a boy you are, because we've tried you, so to speak; but up here where we're going
they'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
night-school."

Seth had listened attentively to the old driver's words; but there was a cloud on his face when mention was
made of the fact that a fireman must have a certain amount of book-learning.

"I don't know hardly anythin' at all, Mr. Davis," he said in a mournful tone.

"You can read, can't you?"

"Yes, if the words ain't too long."

"And write?"

"Well, I wouldn't like to say I really could, 'cause it's just puttin' down letters same as they're printed."

"Didn't you ever go to school, Amateur?"