ing pulled, from his grasp.

He made a final effort to retain his hold, and at the instant there was
in his mind, as if he dreamed, a fancy that strong arms were around him.

After that all was a blank until he opened his eyes to see 'Lish Davis
bending over him as he had done on that night when Jip Collins set fire
to the shed in Baxter's lumber-yard.

"Where's the baby?" he asked, attempting to rise, but forced back by the
deathly faintness which assailed him.

"His mother has got him by this time, Amateur, and you've made a man of
yourself in shorter order than the majority of us are able to do. It was
a close shave, lad, and we'll have no more like it till the time comes
when it's your duty to take such chances."

The driver's voice sounded oddly to the half-stupefied boy; usually it
was gruff, like that of a man in a bad temper, but now it quavered as if
the speaker was making an unsuccessful effort to control his emotions.

Seth allowed his head to fall back on a pile of rubber blankets, and as
his cheeks touched the smooth surface there came to him the thought that
once more he was in the patrol-wagon.

How long he remained apparently unable to speak he had no idea, and then
he heard the shout from afar off, but readily distinguishable above the
panting of the engines:

"How is Ninety-four's kid?"

'Lish Davis rose to his feet and cried in reply:

"He's got his head again, and appears to be all right!"

At that moment some one stepped to the side of the wagon and asked the
driver:

"Shall we send an ambulance?"

"I reckon he'll get along without it, Chief. It's only the reg'lar dose,
as nigh as I can make out."

"How did he happen to be here instead of at headquarters?"

"It was his day off, owing to being a witness in an arson case, and he'd
come up to the house to visit us."

"We shall have to put him in a straight-jacket until he is taken on as a
fireman, else something serious may happen. This would be a case for a
medal if he belonged to the Department."

"That's what he does, Chief. He comes as nigh being one of Ninety-four's
men as I am, and if it so be a medal belongs to him, we'll see he gets
it."

Seth heard, but did not understand this conversation.

He knew it was one of the battalion chiefs who had been talking with Mr.
Davis, and it was enough for him that his name had been spoken in a
friendly tone.

The driver leaned over him once more, and asked almost tenderly:

"Will