Evening star., 1925-06-28
FIRE STEEDS TAKE
|MPR0MPTU RUN
Scent Excitement When
They Are BridIed for Quiet
Straw Ride.

Barney and Gene and Tom-those
are names they'll conjure with down
at Blue Plains hereafter. And if
there are to be any more straw rides
for the old folks they will be held
with the assistance of a team that
has had ever so much more time to
forget all about the glorious past.
For two long weeks Washington 8
retired fire horses have been romping
at VIII in the Verdant pastures that
surround the Home for the Feeble and
lnfirm, with nothing to do but gorge
themselves with clover and oats when
ever the spirit moved them--no work,
no drills, just an eXhilarating. body
building vacation from all worry.
Then came yesterday. and along
with ii brilliant thought: "Wouldn t
II be a great day for "A straw ride, a
genuine. madetoorder day to take
some of the old folks out riding with
their newest pets" Asst. Supt. Frank
Is. Haskell fairly bubbled over with
approval at the mere suggestion Of
such fete.
Come on. Run.
With his own hands he carried the
brides into the pasture and whistled
for the three big grays. then grazing
docilly meath q spreading chestnut
tree. One sight of the harness brought
Gene and Tom on the run. Tom
fairly showed his nose into the halter.
While Gene pranced impatiently await
ing his turn. Barney was less eager,
but was soon convinced by the visible
elee of his old mates.
\ nice. light. Springy farm wagon
was dragged from the barn, heaped
high with neW-mown hay. and in d
trice Barney and Gene and Tom We're
hitChed to it, One Johnson who
has handled horses these many years,
was elected TO do the driving, and an
assistant was seated beside him just
to add eclat. That 'eclat' just about
saved the day.
Everything went well as driver and
assistant seated themselves confident
" on the uncushioned seat. John
SON reached for the reinS. He had
Just clutChed them when things began
to happen. No one else heard a fire
gong, but somewhere back in the
brains of those three powerful grays
that old gong must have sounded once
more. There was a flashing second
of familiar prancing TO get Set"
few useless "whoaS," a surprised eX-
preston on the drivers face-and
Barney, Gene and Tom were off on
another run.
Ran for Half Mile.
Down the long. cinder road from
the barn to the Home for the Feeble
and 1nfirm they Spied a small OBJ
ject. heavy iron farm wagon stood
partly in the road but that was
brushed aside with one sweep. And
in the meantime the assistant driver
had become the full -f1edged engineer
of one rein. with the first driver
chnging to the other with might and
main.
Just how long it took Barney.
Gene and Tom to complete their
latest run is ii point for disagree
ment. The two drivers swore it was
an hour and a half. But by the time
q trailing automobile reached the end
of that run, which covered nearly
half IA mile, the horses had been
carefully unhitched to assure another
lap would not be started with any
passengers, at least. and the drivers
were beginning to realize they We're
still among the present
True to their careful training they
had sighted fire hydrant reposing
beside the smoking chimney of the
homes boilerhouse. Straight for. it
they had dashed and came to a pranc-
ing halt squarely beside the plug,
putting from exertion but honestly be
lieving they had done their work we'll
and truly. Once beside the hydrant
they were the same doCile pets they
had proved in the pasture.
Wants More Fire Plugs.
''Fhew," puffed Johnson, as he rub
bed both arms to make sure they were
still intact. ''Ef ah ever drives that
team again, ah sure do want a fab
plug every yard"
No damage had been done True
enough, Barney, Gene and Tom had
succeeded in pulling the front of the
wagon out, and had given their two
passengers the ride of their lives, but
thoughts of running away were
farthest from their minds.
Johnson, however. was powerful
glad that plug wasn't another half
a mile away. and, although the in
cident had robbed the old folks of
their ride, ii gave them one mighty
laugh.
Barney, Gene and Tom were led.
not driven, back to their pasture.
There they will be permitted to con-
tinue their life of luxurious ease un-
til the early FAN, at least. If they
have succeeded in forgetting their
Fire Department training by that time
they Will be given another chance to
perform the light work that had been
planned for them. Until then, how
ever, their diet of oats and clover will