th Ninety-four as if I belonged to her."

"_As if_ you belonged to her! That's what we allow you do, Amateur. From
this out, unless it so be you turn about wonderfully and go crooked,
you're one of us--an honorary member, so to speak."

"Put down on the roll as the official mascot," Jerry Walters cried,
whereat the remainder of the company laughed heartily, and in this
jovial mood was Ninety-four returned to her quarters; but Seth was not
allowed to take part in the washing-up lest he should soil his fine
feathers.

"I'm counting on your striking in at headquarters lookin' just as fine
as silk, which you couldn't do if we let you hang 'round here helping
with the dirty work," 'Lish Davis said when Seth would have claimed it
as his right to be allowed to assist in the labor. "You're to toddle
straight home now, for you've hung 'round this house long enough; stay
there till morning, come over here for a bit about your usual time, and
then take a spell at swelling down-town until nigh on to twelve o'clock,
when I'll be ready to go with you. Well, why don't you start?"

"I wanted to thank you for lettin' me run with Ninety-four the first
night I had my uniform on."

"You needn't do anything of the kind. The captain happened to be soft
just as the alarm struck, else you wouldn't have got away with us. Now
clear out, and take care you don't get into mischief."

As Seth went toward his lodgings he wondered whether the people whom he
met in the street were not surprised at seeing him thus clad like a
fireman, and so intent was he on walking erect with his shoulders thrown
well back, that he might the better look the part he hoped one day to
play, that he failed to observe Dan Roberts until the latter, suddenly
recognizing his partner, shouted shrilly:

"Hi! Seth! Do you mean that's really you?"

"Don't make such a row on the street, Dan, 'cause folks will wonder
what's the matter. But say, I do look pretty fine, eh?"

"Fine? Why, that's no name for it, old man. You're out of sight! Where
did you get 'em?"

"This is the uniform I was tellin' you 'bout. Mr. Davis gave it to me
when I was over to the engine-house, an' do you know I hadn't more'n got
into it when there was an alarm, an' I rode to the fire on Ninety-four
jest as if I belonged to her."

"No!"

"I did for a fact."

"Well, if they let you do that there ain't much question 'bout your
gettin' into the Department."

"Mr. Davis says it all depends on me n