Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

ttppNElEnI- l6No. ny lhoulaS H. "SNStj
~LING! cling! said the fire bell with
II her silver voice. Cling, cling!
cling, There's a fire not far away!
~ and the roof of the building Is
falling inland the smoke is pour
ing ont of the windows,-and it'll be all up
with the women and children II you don't
hurry up! Cling cling! cling! cling!
Hector strobe out Of his stall with loud
snort: a towering giant of q black horse
with fire in his eyes and fire In his nostrils
and fire under his hoofs as he stepped
Tossing his head contemptuously, ne TOOK
his place Of honor between the poles or the
engine the other horses falling quickly IN
on either side of him. looking like PONIES
in comparison with their big leader All
were harnessed ready to go before iapei
could have been burnt off gasoiene can.
No. 10 was kissing spitefully and SKINNY
the driver. was settling himself comfort
ably upon the box. Hector, however, had
been paving the ground.
Get up Hec." said Skinny. DO you
think this is a funeral?'
Hector tossed his giant head again and
pulled the engine and the other horses
playfully out upon the street.
Gan together now" said Skinny per-
suasvely as he shook out the long reins
And with that they were OFF and away,
with a wild clatter and ringing up the long,
crowded. startled thoroughfare.
Back of Skinny the men who rev mo-
r1ents before had been peacefully pulling
at their corncob pipes and swapping stories
with their friendS-the boys or the nelgn-
borhood-were cllnging with desperation to
the poles of the roaring engine and hose
cart as they rushed down the crowded
street rocking around sharp corners ana
winding an intricate path to the scene of
their duty.
Il wonder what the matter with Skinny
today" said big Bill Hoffman as he damned
his helmet tighter on his head. He's driv-
ing wide everywheTe-acts as though he
was scared of something,
"Oh you never can tell about Skinny,
replied his companion. Hes the craziest
kid on the works. Some days he drives as
If there was a baby under the wheels all
the time. then again he's cilppm them
elevated pillars by fractions or an men
Weaving In and out through the conges-
ton of the city's traffic, Skinny was never
theless driving his horses beautifully, now
tanning down his brakes hard to avoid an
over-impertinent trolley car that had run
past its stopping point and again giving
Hector and his mates their heads as they
dashed madly down an inviting stretch of
asphalt.
Feet braced against the loot board, sinewy
hands straining with all their power
against the excited horses, head bare to
the rushing wind eyes set to the front,
never wavering. face stern with the re-
sponsibility that rests upon the man who
is guiding brazen comet through city
streets crowded with eager spectators-this
was Skinny.
Looks like a soldier charging the enemy,
said one man half to himself
You're right sir. he is a soldier: but
with those fellows death is all in the days
work" and his neighbor turned again as
the battalion chief whirled changing by in
his buggy in the wake of the flying en-
CINE.
But with Skinny on the drivers seat 1t
was different today. To the outsider Skinny
was the same intrepid, keen-eyed driver
who loves to show his daring and skill and
devotion to duty Even his comrades at
the fire house had noticed no marked diff
ference. for he had always been an erratic
lad and made few intimate friends.
Hector was the only one to whom he had
given all his heart and all his condolences.
Yer safe If we tell yer secrets to a horse"
he often said, and then he had half laughed.
But the men knew that Hector was more
to Skinny than a child would be to some
men. and they respected him for 1t even
if they joked with him about it.
And today with Skinny was different A