Page 84 - An Amateur Fireman

repose, despite the troubles which had come upon them.

Seth, whose last thought had been that he must waken early, opened his eyes just as the day was dawning, and
aroused his comrades.

"You fellers must turn out if you count on helpin' Jip this mornin', an' I'm goin' to get right off. Seems to me it
would be a good idea if Bill was at the ferry right soon."

"I'll start now," Master Dean replied, and, since their plans had been fully arranged the night previous, there
was nothing to prevent Seth from going at once to Ninety-four's house.

The watchman on duty admitted him with a reproof for trying to crowd too much work into one day; but made
no further objection when the amateur fireman declared that he should "feel better if he did the shinin' the
same's ever."

Not a man was awake save the one on duty, when, his work finished, Seth hurried toward headquarters.

When he arrived it lacked twenty minutes of the time set for him to begin work, and the first person he met
inside the building was a gray-haired man wearing such a uniform as did Jerry Walters, the driver of
Ninety-four, and all Seth's particular friends.

"What are you doing here?" the official asked in a not very friendly tone.

"I began to work 'round this place yesterday noon," Seth replied in an apologetic manner.

"Oh, you did, eh? You must be the kid 'Lish Davis made so much talk about."

"I am the boy he got the job for, sir."

"Well, what are you doing here so early? Seven o'clock is the hour."

"Yes, sir; but I don't s'pose it can make much difference if I'm here a little before time, 'cause then I'll get
more done, don't you see?"

"And you were figuring on that same thing when you stayed here until eight o'clock last night, eh?"

"No, sir; I stayed 'cause I wasn't through washin' all the windows on the second floor, an' didn't want to leave
the job half done."

"Well, in the future you'd better go home when the clock strikes six, the same as others do. What task have
they set for you this morning?"

"Nothing as yet, sir."

"That's because you did your work too well yesterday. I suppose they allowed you had enough to last through
the balance of this day."

"It would be a pretty poor kind of a boy who couldn't do more'n wash that many windows in a day an' a half,"
Seth replied laughingly, fancying that this man's gruff manner was no indication of bad temper, but rather the
reverse.

"They tell me you're counting on being a fireman one of these days?"