The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-07-22
CAP. THE
FIRE DOG

ever since lie could remember He
had been bfought to the station when
he was only d little puppy. and sYery
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.
.tBowswoRl'K whenever he was hun;
gry. Another fireman had taught
him to scratch the aoor below the
water faucet and bark whenever ne
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 50.
The chief Of the IRE department
said that Cap could do more stri Ks
than any dog he had ever seen, and
the best one of all he had learned
to do without ever having been told
how to do It.
The french slept upstairs over
the station in long rows Of white
beds, and, whenever the Are 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 floor,
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 tie 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 70 the fire.
Cap longed to slide down the
poles as The fremen did. but OF
course that was something no dog
could do so, If he happened to be
upstairs, as he often was, when the
ire bell rang in the daytime. he
would runto the stairway, clear the
steps;at three bounds, and spring to
his place on the seat beside the
CHEZ.
But at night Cap stayed down.
stairs, sleeping very near the tele-
phone and fro bell; and, when the
alarm sounded, the fremen would
hear Caps loud '.Bow-wow!" almost
as soon as they, heard the bell, and,
no matter how quickly they dressed,
thew 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 tiremen
would laugh and pat Caps head,
and say that, II they slept in their
clothes as Cap did, they, too. would
be ready and in their places In one
minute. ,g nj
But nosfreman ever slept after the
bell rang, and not one of them was
ever known to, say, Wait a minute
CT, Lam too, sleepy to co. Even
the horses would run to their places
the instant they { heard the bell, so
Cap thought 1t bis place to do the
same. II
One night there was 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. vas dark and sttll
and all the fEsmsn and the fire
horses were sound asleep, a house
caught fire, and, the policeman on
the street corner ran to the telephone
to call the Aremen out.
The Are bell tried its best to ring;
but, instead of loud "Ding-a-ling."
1T could say nothing more than
"Fz-z."
Not fireman heard it (.
Not even a fire horse moved.
,Bz.s-sw said the bell again. and
suddenly Cap opened his eyes, and
With "a loud "Bow-wow-wow!"
sp:ang to bis place in, the chiefs
car..
The fireman rolled out of their
beds, and each one asked; Did
you hear that? DID the FIRE bell
ring?" And the answer came: NO.
it was only Cap barking; but be is
certainly saying fire We had bet
ter dress and slide down and see
about H..
"Bow-wov! bow-wow-wow" bark
ed CAP.
"B-z-z-z!" said the bell Just as
the first fireman came sliding down
the pole. :.
"FIre!" shouted tho fireman "cap
was right, Come ont" And in a
moment there was a catering of
many hoofs as the fire horses dashed
to their places, the jlngIing Of har-
ness as Il 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
f,ar.