# The Foreign Policy of Company 99 explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

Engine Company No. 99's hose-cart driver John Byrnes is an ardent Japan supporter during the Russo-Japanese War, tracking the conflict on a war map. An immigrant named Demetre Svangvsk inadvertently causes a crash that injures Byrnes and kills the beloved horse Erebus. Despite being repeatedly kicked out, Svangvsk returns and later heroically rescues Byrnes's son Chris from a runaway automobile by riding the remaining horse Joe. The firemen discover Svangvsk is a Cossack, a Russian tribe, complicating Byrnes's anti-Russian stance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Irony

The irony of a pro-Japan fireman being saved by a Cossack (Russian) immigrant, and the repeated kicking of Svangvsk despite his eventual heroism.

### Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

Svangvsk appears as a harmless, grinning fool but proves to be a skilled rider and hero; the firemen's prejudice blinds them to his true nature.

### Social Class and Wealth

The immigrant is treated as a lowly 'protozoa' and 'alien fowl,' while the firemen hold a respected position; class and nationality divide them.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

Narrates the events from a third-person perspective, focusing on the firemen and the immigrant.

### John Byrnes

Hose-cart driver of Engine Company No. 99, obsessed with Japanese victories in the Russo-Japanese War; injured in the accident caused by Svangvsk.

### Demetre Svangvsk

Immigrant who causes the accident but later rescues Byrnes's son; revealed to be a Cossack.

### Chris Byrnes

John Byrnes's nine-year-old son; accidentally sets the Deputy Fire Commissioner's auto in motion and is rescued by Svangvsk.

### Mike Dowling

Fireman who expresses disgust at Svangvsk and kicks him out of the engine-house.

### Sloviski

Delicatessen owner and linguist who attempts to identify Svangvsk's origin but fails.

## Key lines

> The unwritten constitutional code of the fireman has no exceptions or amendments. It is a simple thing—as simple as the rule of three.

The firemen's unwritten rules are absolute and straightforward, like a basic mathematical principle.

_Highlights the rigid ethical code of the fire department._

> Sounds like a seidlitz powder, said Mike Dowling, disgustedly, and it makes me sicker than one.

Mike Dowling compares the immigrant's chatter to an effervescent laxative, expressing his disgust.

_Shows the firemen's contempt for the foreigner._

> The heathen rides like a Cossack, remarked a fireman who had seen a Wild West show—they're the greatest riders in the world.

A fireman observes that Svangvsk rides as well as a Cossack, known for their equestrian skills.

_Foreshadows the revelation of Svangvsk's identity._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/the-foreign-policy-of-company-99
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters