“A fire, lad; was it a big one?”
“Ay, that it was; a case o’ burnin’-out almost; and there were lives saved,” said the boy with a look of triumph; “and that’s more than you can say you’ve seen, though you are a fireman.”
“Well, you know I have not been long in the brigade, Willie, and as the escapes often do their work before the engines come up, I’ve not had much chance yet of seeing lives saved. How was it done?”
With glowing eyes and flushed cheeks Willie at once launched out into a vivid description of the scene he had so recently witnessed, and dwelt particularly on the brave deeds of Conductor Forest and the tall fireman. Suddenly he looked up at his brother.
“Why, what are you chucklin’ at, Blazes?”
“Nothing, lad. Was the fireman very tall?”
“That he certainly was—uncommon tall.”
“Something like me?” said Frank.
A gleam of intelligence shot across the boy’s face as he stopped and caught his brother by the sleeve, saying earnestly:
“It wasn’t you, Frank, was it?”