Page 79 - An Amateur Fireman

CHAPTER XI.

SAM'S RETURN.

It was nearly eight o'clock on the evening of the day Seth paid his first visit to headquarters and he was
greeted warmly by such of the men as were on the lower floor.

"Where's Mr. Davis?" he asked.

"He had twenty-four hours' leave an' ain't likely to flash up before to-morrow noon," Jerry Walters replied.
"How did you get along at headquarters?"

"That I ain't quite so certain of," Seth replied doubtfully.

"Why not? Anything gone wrong?"

"No; but it don't seem as though the men up there had very much to say to me."

"Found you plenty of work, eh?"

"Oh, yes; there was enough of that."

"A little too much, I reckon, if it kept you till this hour."

"I was told that I should knock off at six o'clock, but then I hadn't finished the job I was workin' on, an' so
stayed till it was done."

"How did 'Lish Davis swell 'round?"

"I didn't see anythin' of him after we got inside. He told a man there who I was, an' two or three of 'em hunted
'round to find work for me."

"Well, how do you like it so far's you've gone?" Jerry Walters asked with a smile, and the remainder of the
company gathered around to hear the reply.

"I'd like anythin' that was givin' me a show of gettin' into the Department. Of course it ain't so pleasant in the
house doin' all kinds of work as it is out of doors layin' still when you want to, or talkin' with the fellers."

"Then you don't feel like backin' out yet?"

"No sir-ee! I'll never feel like that. Look here, I've got to be up at seven o'clock to-morrow mornin', an' why
couldn't I shine your boots to-night?"

"'Cause then is the time for you to rest, Amateur. Don't bother your head about our boots being shined, for
we'll tend to that part of it. I reckon there'll be as much work at headquarters as you can comfortably do, so
there's no need to come 'round here except to make a friendly call. Of course we're expectin' to see you pretty
nigh every evenin' so's to have a report of how things are goin'; but so far's your blackin' our boots, that's all
nonsense, and if 'Lish Davis was here this minute he'd tell you the same."

"But I want to do it, an' Mr. Davis promised me I should, 'cause it'll make it seem as if I was tryin' to square
up for what all of you have done for me."