would have gone on playing with the children we cannot say,
for he was interrupted by the entrance of Bob and David Clazie.

"Come along, Joe," said the latter, "it's your turn to go along with us
to drill."

"It's 'ard work to 'ave to go playin' at fires doorin' the day, an'
puttin' of 'em out doorin' the night, Joe; ain't it?" said Bob Clazie.

"So 'tis Bob, but it must be done, you know. Duty first, pleasure
afterwards," replied Joe, with a laugh. "Besides, the green hands could
never learn how to do it if they hadn't some of the old uns to show 'em
the way."

"Hall right," replied Bob; "come along."

They left the room with a hearty "good-day" to Mrs Dashwood, and a nod
to the children.

Putting on the round sailor's caps which replaced the helmets when they
were not on actual service, the three firemen took their way towards the
city, and finally reached a large piece of open ground, where a number
of very old houses had been partly pulled down, to be soon replaced by
new ones. The Fire-Brigade had obtained permission to perform their
drill there until the ground should be required.

It was a curious waste place in the heart of the great city, with
rubbish cumbering the ground in front of the half demolished houses.
Here several ungainly fire-escapes leaned against the ruined walls, and
thrust their heads through broken windows, or stood on the ground,
rampant, as if eager to have their heads crammed into smoke and flames.
Here also were several manual engines, with their appropriate gearing
and hose, and near to these were grouped a band of as fine, fresh,
muscular young fellows as one could wish to see. These were the new
hands of the brigade--the young men, recently engaged, who were
undergoing drill. Each was a picked, and, to some extent, a proved man.
The lightest and least powerful among these men was a sturdy,
courageous fellow. He, like the others, had been tried at an old
fire-escape which stood in a corner of the yard, and which was unusually
large and cumbrous. If he had failed to "work" various portions of that
escape single-handed, without assistance, he would have been pronounced
physically unfit for the service. Courage and strength alone would not
have been sufficient. Weight, to a certain extent, was essential.

Among these youths were several of the older hands, and one or two
officers of the brigade, the latter being distinguished by brass
ornaments or "brasses" on their should