One day as they were coming home from a fire, Tom stepped on a loose stone in the street; he stumbled, and hurt one of his legs. The men led him to his stall and bandaged the leg. They said that it would be at least a week before they could drive Tom again.

The next day he seemed quite lame, and the captain of the fire company shook his head.

"Tom, my good horse," he said, "I'm afraid we shall have to go to all the fires this winter without you. But there's Harry, the new horse;

he'll do the work till you get well."

So Harry was put in Tom's stall, and Tom was given the large box stall just beyond it.

That very night when everybody was having a good nap, the fire alarm was heard.

"Dong! dong! dong! dong!" rang the great gong at the top of the engine house.

The firemen tumbled out of their beds. They drew on their boots, and were at their places in less than a minute.

"It's too bad about Tom," said Tom," said

the driver. "I don't know how we'll make out with Harry;

but I hope he'll do pretty well.”

"Tinkle! tinkle! tinkle!" rang the small bell just above the stalls.

The horses knew what that meant. All ran out and stood in front of the engine - all except

poor Tom, who was shut in his stall. How eager they were for the grand rush through the streets! "Dong! dong! dong! dong!"

The men leaped upon the engine; the driver seized the reins; the horses sprang forward; and away they went, rushing and rattling down the street. And Tom was left alone in the box stall.

The poor horse could not understand why he could not go too. He forgot his lame leg. He neighed as loudly as he could. He jumped up and down. He listened to the sound of the clattering hoofs of Dick and Harry, now far down the street.

What did it all mean? Was he to go to no more fires? Was that new horse, Harry, to have all the joy of this midnight gallop through the streets, while he was left alone in the engine house?

Then Tom turned and kicked with all his might at the door which shut him in. It was splintered and cracked by the blow. He kicked again, and again, and again. The latch was broken, the door flew open, there was no one near to see what had been done.

With one great leap Tom was out of the stall; then out of the engine house he rushed, and down the street he ran as he had never run before.

Far away, the horse could

see the flames

shooting up in the darkness and lighting the sky beyond. He could hear the shouting of men

and boys as they ran toward the fire. Yes, he could hear the clattering of horses' hoofs and the rumbling of his own fire engine on the rough street some distance ahead of him.

Ah, how slow that new horse, Harry, must be! And how it must worry poor Dick to be hitched by the side of a beast so lazy and awkward! Whether Tom thought of this, or not, I cannot say; but he neighed wildly, and rushed onward like the wind.

And now the engine had come to a sharp turn in the street. The driver pulled hard on the reins; and then suddenly the new horse stumbled and fell. The men leaped from the engine and ran to help him up. Alas! a leg

was broken; he could not rise.

"Run to the first fire box and call out another engine," cried the captain.

At that moment there was a great clattering of hoofs near by, and Tom came rushing up, his head held high, and his eyes flashing with the joy of the race.

"Hurrah!" cried the astonished firemen. "There's Tom! He's come to help us out, and he doesn't limp at all."

Right up to his place beside Dick the proud horse cantered; and in another minute the harness from

Harry was thrown upon him, and he was ready for work. The driver shouted, the men leaped to their places, and again the engine was speeding down the street.

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the men. "We shall yet win; but we never could have done it but for brave Tom."

After the fire had been put out and the engine had been taken back, all the men came around Tom to pat him on the neck and speak words of kindness and praise.

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'Well, his leg was not much hurt, after all," said the captain. "There's no need to keep him in the box stall."

EXPRESSION: Read the description of Tom and Dick. Read about Tom's accident. What did the captain say? Imitate the great gong; the little bell; the bell on the engine.

Read what the captain said when Harry fell.

Read what the firemen said when they saw Tom.
Which of the three horses do you like best? Why?

WORD STUDY: (1) leaped, jumped, cracked, hitched, stepped, kicked, rushed.

(2) tumbled, stumbled, cantered, bandaged, seized, neighed, listened, splintered.

(3) engine, signal, company, meant, except, eager, gallop, distance, reins, chief.

See phonetic exercise, page 254.