of voices
near at hand, and on looking around Seth saw, to his great surprise, Mr.
Fernald talking with 'Lish Davis.

"Hello! got your eyes open again, eh?" the old instructor cried, and
Seth would have arisen to his feet but that Mr. Fernald's hand was laid
heavily upon his shoulder.

"I'm all right now, sir, an' I promised to go to school with Bill an'
Dan."

"It's a little late for anything of that kind now, my boy, seeing that
the clock has just struck ten. What's all this talk I hear of your
showing the members of the Department how to effect a rescue?"

"It wasn't me, sir. I only got the baby out of the window, an' somebody
else must have taken him from there."

"It was Jerry Walters who came up the ladder," 'Lish Davis interrupted.

"The credit of saving the child belongs to you, Seth," Mr. Fernald said,
decidedly, "and I hope there'll be no question about its being given.
Tell us how it was done."

"There isn't much to tell, sir. I jest heard the baby yellin', an' went
in after it. Then the smoke made me feel silly, an' I had to keep sayin'
to myself what I heard you tellin' the class, about a clear head bein'
the next best thing to a ladder, else I'd gone under before I found the
rope."

"Now there's the kind of a pupil to have!" Mr. Fernald cried proudly.
"There's some satisfaction in knowing that what a man says will be
remembered when the time comes that it may be of profit. You shall go
regularly into the class from this out, Seth Bartlett, whether the
commissioners approve or not, and we'll find some one else to do the odd
jobs."

"Do you really think I stand a better chance of gettin' into the
Department because of tryin' to pull the kid through?" Seth asked in
surprise, and Josh Fernald replied to the great delight of both the boy
and Mr. Davis:

"If I can bring any influence to bear, you shall be there very soon, my
lad, and at all events, from this time out you will be kept at work on
the drill. Ninety-four's kid is of considerably more importance to-night
than he was this morning."

After such praise as this it seemed impossible for Seth to remain in
bed, and finally 'Lish Davis consented to his going down-stairs for a
time.

The hour which Seth spent on the lower floor on this night was the most
pleasant he had ever known.

The men did not occupy the time in praising him, but discussed the
rescue again and again, and never once was the boy spoken to, or of, as
the "Amateur."

'Li