Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-08-06
CAP, THE
FIRE DOG

Cap had lived with the hremen
ever since he could remember. He
had been brought to the station when
he was only little puppy, and every
fireman loved him and declared that
Cap was the wisest dog that he had
ever seen.
One fireman had taught Cap to
stand on his back feet and say.
"Bow-wow!" whenever he was hun
cry. Another fireman had taught
him to scratch the floor below the
water faucet and bark whenever he
was thirsty.
He could walk on his back feet,
drink from the fire hose. and drag
the hose about whenever he was
told to do so.
The chief of the FIRE department
said that Cap could do more tricks"
than any dog he had ever seen. and
the best one Of ali he had learned
to do without ever having been told
how to do II.
The flremen slept upstairs over
the station in long rows Of white
beds, and, whenever the nre bell
rang in the night. the firemen would
spring from their beds, dress before
you could say Jack Robinson" run
TO the four large holes in the moor,
and come sliding down the poles one
after another: then they would run
TO the horses, which at the sound Of
the bell had found their places IN
front Of the engine, the hose-cart.
the hook-and-ladder wagon, and the
chiefs cart, buckle on the harness.,
and each fireman would spring Into
place ready to drive away to the lres
Cap longed to slide down the
poles, as the flremen did, but of
course that Was something no dog
could do. So, II he happened to be
upstairs, as he often was. when the
FIRE bell rang in the daytime, he
would run to the stairway, clear the
steps at three bounds, and spring to
his place on the seat beside the
chief.
But at night Cap stayed down
stairs. sleeping very near the tele-
phone and fire bell; and. when the
alarm sounded, the fremeR would
hear Caps loud "Bow-wowi" almost
as soon as they heard the bell, and,
no matter how quickly they dressed,
they would always find Cap In his
place ahead of them.
He is the best fireman in the
station" the chief would sometimes
say. "He is always dressed and
ready for work" And the fremen
would laugh and pat Caps head.
and say that, If they slept in their
clothes as Cap did, they, too, would
be ready and in their places in one
minute.
But no fireman ever slept after, the
bell rang. and not one Of them was
ever known to say, wait minute" I"
or, Il am too sleepy to 60" Even
the horses would run to their places
the instant they heard the bell, so
Cap thought It his place to do the
same.
One night there was a great storm,
and something happened to the tele-
phone and FIRE bells, so that they
could not ring: and, in the night
time. when all was dark and still
and all the fremen and the fire
Norses were sound asleep, a house
caught fire, and the policeman on
the street corner ran to the telephone
to call the firemen out
The fire bell tried its best to ring;
but. instead Of loud "Ding-a-ling,' .
it could say nothing more than
"Bz-z."
Not a fireman heard it.
Not even a FIRE horse moved.
"Bz-z-z!" said the bell again. and
suddenly Cap opened his eyes, and
with q loud "Bow-wow-wowl .
sprang to his place in the chiefs
cart.
The fireman rolled out Of their
beds, and each one. asked: Ibid
you hear that? Did the fre bell
ring?" And the answer came: "No,
it was only Cap barking; but he is
certainly saying FIRE We had bet
ter dress and slide down and see
about IT,"
'Bow-wow! bow-wow-wowl" bark
cd Cap.
"B-z-E-z!" said the bell Just as
the first fireman came sliding down
the pole.
''F1rei" shouted the fireman. cap
was right. Come on!" And in a
moment there was a Gathering of
many hoofs as the fire horses dashed
to their places, the jingling Of har-
ness as II dropped into place on the
horses backs, shouts OF Fire, keep
out OF the street," from the police
man in front of the station, and
"clang, elang, clangi" from the
gongs Of the engine. the hose cart,
the hook-and-ladder wagon, and the
chiefs cart as they dashed away
down the street.
The fire was soon found and put
out; and, when the people who lived
In the burning house came out to
thank the hremen, the chief patted
Cap on the head and said; no not
thank us, Thank Cap. He Is the
best fireman Of us all" And Cap.
who had never for one moment
ceased his "Bow-wow-wow! waRked
his tail and said. dog fashion, II did
the best l could, but l am not a fire-
man. am only Cap. the nre dog. .
Edna Everett, IN Kindergarten
Review.
Professional Query
Among the papers Of R. II. StOddard
that Ripley Hitchcock edited there is
a letter which Oliver Wendell Holmes,
the poet-physiciaR. Is said to have re-
eeived. This letter was written many
years ago by an ignorant country
practitioner, and 1t is interesting be-