Seth Bartlett is fourteen years old, a bootblack living in a shed behind a stable, and he has never stopped believing he was meant to be a fireman. While other boys his age shine shoes for spending money, Seth studies the weight of hose, memorizes the sound of alarm bells, and practices hitching horses to steamers in his imagination. His friend Dan thinks he's foolish to dream of joining the Fire Department when he can't even keep his bootblack business afloat. But Seth knows something Dan doesn't: he will not shine shoes forever. When Jip Collins, a boy with a mean streak and a matchbox, threatens to burn down Seth's meager home, the stakes turn dangerous. This isn't just about ambition anymore. Set in the late nineteenth century, when firefighting was still a young profession and a boy could earn respect through courage alone, this is the story of a穷少年 who refuses to let his circumstances dictate his future.
