ye say to send along to the
doctor for another bottle o' cough mixture, same as the first?"

This proposal was received with a general laugh.

"He'll not send us more o' _that_ tipple, you may depend," said
Williams.

"No, not av we wos dyin'," said Corney, with a grin.

"What was it?" asked Williams.

"Didn't you hear about it?" inquired Moxey. "Oh, to be sure not; you
were in hospital after you got run over by the Baker Street engine.
Tell him about it, Corney. It was you that asked the doctor, wasn't it,
for another bottle?"

Corney was about to speak, when a young fireman entered the room with
his helmet hanging on his arm.

"Is it go on?" he inquired, looking round.

"No, it's go back, young Rags," replied Baxmore, as he refilled his
pipe; "it was only a chimney, so you're not wanted."

"Can any o' you fellers lend me a bit o' baccy?" asked Rags. "I've
forgot to fetch mine."

"Here you are," said Dale, offering him a piece of twist.

"Han't ye got a bit o' hard baccy for the tooth?" said Rags.

"Will that do?" asked Frank Willders, cutting off a piece from a plug of
cavendish.

"Thank'ee. Good afternoon."

Young Rags put the quid in his cheek, and went away humming a tune.

In explanation of the above incident, it is necessary to tell the reader
that when a fire occurred in any part of London at the time of which we
write, the fire-station nearest to it at once sent out its engines and
men, and telegraphed to the then head or centre station at Watling
Street. London was divided into four districts, each district
containing several fire stations, and being presided over by a foreman.
From Watling Street the news was telegraphed to the foremen's stations,
whence it was transmitted to the stations of their respective districts,
so that in a few minutes after the breaking out of a fire the fact was
known to the firemen _all over London_.

As we have said, the stations nearest to the scene of conflagration
turned out engines and men; but the other stations furnished a man each.
Thus machinery was set in motion which moved, as it were, the whole
metropolis; and while the engines were going to the fire at full speed,
single men were setting out from every point of the compass to walk to
it, with their sailors' caps on their heads and their helmets on their
arms.

And this took place in the case of every alarm of fire, because fire is
an element that will not brook delay, and it does not do to wa