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10 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Spring 2021 When it was clear I would guard the apparatus’. The pumper made so much noise, children normally stayed away. The Ladder truck was a different story; it sat there quietly inviting all comers. I would alternate guarding the apparatus’ going back and forth between them. Once at a warehouse fire, four pumpers and two Ladder trucks responded. The smoke was hanging low and I got confused and went to guard the wrong Ladder truck. I would not let the firemen get their ladders. Johnny was on his way to the pumper when he heard the crowd laughing, lover boy came over and got me. After the fire, Chief Arthur came over to the firehouse and was chewing out Captain Hill for taking “that stupid dog” to a fire. In the middle of Arthur’s tirade he stopped and said “what’s that noise up there, Jim replied “it’s that ‘stupid dog’ closing the pole wells!” With his face beet red and bulging eyes Arthur said “Consider yourself on report, be in the Super’s office at 9 am! Jim never went to the Super’s office that morning. A roll came in at about 3 am. Over the radio came: “Engines 11, 23, Ladder 10, Car 304, Freret and Milan, people trapped!” Upon arrival, heavy smoke was coming from a shotgun house on Freret Street. Engine 11 dropped a line and hooked to a hydrant at the corner. Ladder 10 parked about 50 feet from the house. Willie and Adam jumped off the truck, put on air packs and entered the house. Usually after a fire, on return to quarters, everyone is jok- ing, laughing, and showing their bloody cuts and bruises. This time everyone was quiet, Adam was crying, telling the Chief and the Captain “the heat got so intense, I mo- tioned to Willie, let's get out of here, he was right behind me” ”I crawled to the door, outside I turned and Willie was still inside!” “Before I could go back in the ceiling col- lapsed!” there was other very low chatter “I’ve never saw anything like this before” “Sammy was pacing and bark- ing” “at the moment the line was charged the roof caved in” “I thought he wanted a treat” “sad, he had no family, just Sammy”. I heard my name and went upstairs and closed the well hatches, I was tired, I went to the foot of Willies bed and went right to sleep. It has been 8 years since Willie an- swered “The Last Alarm” and Sammy became a true fire- house dog. He was 10 years old, but he still continued his duties, Sammy knew something was missing, he couldn’t quite figure out what. On too many occasions, Sammy would fall asleep on the apparatus floor near Lad- der 10. In the wee hours, when all was still, the TV screen flickering with it’s sound indistinguishable, the watch duty fireman at the watch desk; the Louisiana Avenue bus would disrupt the air as it passed the firehouse. A down draft of cool air passing the tiller’s seat, the scent settling over Sammy. In an instant Sammy would be on his feet his eyes quickly surveying his surroundings. He would run to Engine 11 then back to Ladder 10, when his search produced nothing; he then bounded up the stairs as if he were young again. There at the foot the bed, he lay waiting for Willie. Epilog:This fictional article was inspired by Jack London’s book “Call of the Wild.” I was stationed at 2312 Louisiana Avenue as Operator of Engine 11. The fire- fighters in this article are representative of the men I worked with. They are all gone now, I honor them and Ray Gaddy, Fire Cap- tain, retired. My thanks to dog lovers and trainers, Mike and Beverly Howard of St. Cloud, FL, for their advice and encour- agement. Ernest J. Theriot S Sandwiches Soups Salads Banana Splits Shakes Sundaes Sweet Treats Inside McNeill One Stop 8014 Hwy 11 North Carriere, MS 601-798-3210 113 West Canal Street Picayune, MS 601-798-4993