The Washington herald., 1914-03-01

good and fresh. We made some fast
time. and turned north on William. /
Twas keeping close TO Manie's nose all
along the first stretch, but | knew what
mean street William was. The cross
streets are so narrow and close togeth-
er that any minute truck might roll
out in front of us. So l spread my
self and took half-block leadIo on Num-
Der Sixty-four.
!. A. Beekman street ] got the sting of
the paint smoke, and saw that the blaze
was down near Pearl. turned east,
whooping it up for fair, and sending all
the people and vehicles out of the mid
die of the road. Jimmie brought the
steamer around the sharp corner with
rush and without touching the stand
pipe or the curb. There ain,r man in
the uniform can touch Jimmie for hand
ling team and steamer as big as ours
He keeps whip in the socket, but only
because the regulations say keep one
If the regulations told him to drive
with one eye shut he would shut one
eye. That's Jimmie. He's got red hair,
and he sticks to the regulations.
] saw him twist MS mouth down in
the corner, and | knew he was jollying
Mamie about being slow The old girl
spread out little. Prince was slow,
and she turned her pink nose around,
as she pulled away, and snapped him
on the jaw. The old man come to life
and began to work harder. Togo nev-
er thinks of anything but getting to
fire, and Mamie had no kick on his
work.
Number Sixty-four was coming down
the Beekman street grade to Pearl fast
er than any steamer ever went over a
street i'll this big town OF New York,
and so l lit out to increase my distance,
knowing there would be danger. The
big engine 9slched and screamed as she
come along, and the bell of the hose
wagon behind her kept banging away.
But it all didn't courr for much. The
elevated trains over Pearl street and
the big grind of the bridge trains above
them would drown any kind OF noise.
The breeze was blowing from the river,
and the smoke got thicker as We ran
along.
l could see Jimmie's eyes watching
me over Mamie's white ears as they
went up and down, for he depended on
me to keep the way clear for him. l
wheeled every two bounds to make
sure that things were right in both di-
rections. Suddenly Jimmie stood up
and began saving on the reins. l turn
ed half somersault to rubber for the
trouble, and, holy Cerebus, if there
wasn't kid no bigger than myself tod
ding out in the street,
The baby was about FIVE feet from
he curb and just getting under way to
cross tie street. About four more steps
and it would have been right in line |
for death. Everybody on the sidewalks |
was watching the big engine come down
the grade, and. the little one was so !
small that nobody noticed it There |
was only one thing to do. jumped |
for that kid and hit it right in the |
breast with all my weight Ii let out |
yell and fell back to the curb. Number |
Sixty-four had plenty of room, and | |
saw Jimmie settle back slowly in his
seat and lean over Mamie's back again /
with a grin on his face.
We pulled up in one OF the short
streets down in the swamp section, and
of all the smells l ever got this one
was the limit. a big wholesale paint
house was one sheet OF flame, and the
fire had spread to a hide-and-leather
warehouse next door. When you mix
the smell of burning oil and paint with
burning hide and hair, and have to rush
right into it and stay in II until the
chief orders retreat, just put it down
as coming from old Smoke that, wheth-
er you're man, a horse. or dog, YOU
know that you're earning your keep.
Jimmie was off his seat in one Jump
and loosening the bits of the horses. He
stopped long enough to give me slap
on the shoulder for getting that kid
out of his way, and felt mighty good.
What's beating between old friends.
anyhow? J.